From the Oscars to the Césars, the needle of French cinema has been brought forward by a series of public debates on gender parity, inclusion and the representation of Black and other marginalised groups onscreen. Euzhan Palcy, veteran director of “Rue Case-Nègres”, “A Dry White Season”, “Siméon” and many others, was the first woman to receive a César award by the prestigious Académie des César in 1984. Alice Diop, filmmaker of “Danton’s Death”, “On Call and Nous”, more recently received a César for her documentary “Towards Tenderness” in 2017 (in ex æquo with filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré). 

In the 33 years which span the awards handed down to both Black French women filmmakers, has their filmmaking gaze changed? Has the industry to which they belong made progress? Have the representations of Black people and other ethnic minorities on the silver screen of French cinemas evolved? How do they position themselves set against this backdrop? From fiction to documentary, from the French West Indies to Metropolitan France, DOK Leipzig invites these two major figures of French cinema to discuss their dual consciousness, filmmaking and their careers.

Language: French 
Duration: 68 min