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Soleil Ô

Powerful indictment of colonialism and racism about a migrant from Mauritania who ends up in a cold, indifferent and dismissive Paris.

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Deze voorstelling maakt deel uit van Rialto Filmclub met als gastspreker deze maand Ernst-Jan Pfauth.

Soleil Ô

A black immigrant leaves Mauritania with high hopes for Paris, to get in touch with his Gaul ancestors. He soon discovers that La Douce France is anything but douce: he is faced with indifference, rejection and humiliation. The inhabitants of the City of Light turn out to be racist through and through, while the African dignitaries living in the city look the other way. He cannot find a job nor housing or a community to welcome him. In his characteristic defiance, he refuses to resign himself to this situation.

Mauritanian director Med Hondo’s debut film was shot with a very low budget, but its impact was all the greater. In Soleil Ô – a ferocious, experimental and bitterly funny indictment of the legacy of colonialism, of African leaders who meekly dance to the tune of the West and of all forms of racism – Hondo presents his shattering vision of awakening black consciousness. Winner of the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival.

Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with Med Hondo. Restoration funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation and The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project.