Black Venus (2010)
aka Vénus noire
First screened in August 2015 / Most recently screened in January 2019
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche. Cast: Yahima Torres, Andre Jacobs, Olivier Gourmet, Elina Löwensohn, François Marthouret, Michel Gionti, Jonathan Pienaar, Jean-Christophe Bouvet, Ralph Amoussou, Alex Serman, Rémi Martin. Screenplay: Abdellatif Kechiche, with Ghalia LaCroix.

Twitter Capsule: (2015) More daring and ambitious than Blue Is the Warmest Color, and more visually rich. About the saddest bio imaginable.

Second Capsule: (2019) Surely a horror to film but Saartjie's lives as thwarted subject and abused object emerge potently. Torres is heroic.

VOR:   Hard to imagine a film engaging more dangerous material. Its unflinching gusto could seem heedless but strikes me as brave, rare, and revelatory.



Photo © 2010 MK2 Productions/France 2 Cinéma/CinéCinéma

Not yet reviewed in full. Grade: A–


Awards:
Venice Film Festival: Equal Opportunity Award

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