Douce France (1995) - film review

A portrait of four young French people of Arab descent living on a housing estate in the Saint-Denis district of Paris.  Jean-Luc uses the heist from a jewel robbery to set himself up as a lawyer, his office being a room in the bar managed by his friend Moussa.  Two sisters, Farida and Souad, have problems with their parents, employers and each other.  In contrast to Souad, who is a rebel who cuts her hair short and is obsessed with her appearance, Farida adheres to the edicts of her Muslim faith, for example wearing a head scarf.  The four young people tackle the pressures not just from an intrinsically racist society but also from their parents and peers, who expect them to conform to their lifestyle.

Made in the same year as La Haine, but far less celebrated, Douce France paints a similar, slightly less superficial, view of racial tensions in France.   Whereas La Haine tackled the obvious problems of police antagonism, unemployment and street violence, Douce France is far more down to earth, content with depicting the day-to-day problems of a group of fairly ordinary young people of Arab descent.  Although it is far less striking than La Haine, this film does tackle some of the issues facing racial minorities in a more realistic way.

The young people in this film have to cope not just with the hostility and prejudices of a predominantly white society but also with the competing pressures of simultaneously trying to integrate themselves into this society whilst also respecting their own heritage.  Rather than shocking its audience, Douce France offers a far more sympathetic portrayal of non-whites living in a European city than La Haine, often using humour rather than drama to reinforce some of its messages.

© James Travers 2001

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