Film Review
With his feature debut, director Frédéric Chignac offers
a bitterly ironic reflection on the present state of play between the
developed West and the Dark Continent. Bizarrely styled as a mix
of faux documentary and dead pan black comedy,
Le Temps de la kermesse est terminé
tramples political correctness into the dust within it first ten
minutes and what ensues is a brutally honest, albeit somewhat tongue in
cheek, portrayal of Africa's far from dignified relationship with the
West. The film never lets us forget that one form of colonialism
has replaced another, with Africa still controlled and exploited by the
rich northern countries for her resources. Prior to this, Chignac
had spent many years working as a journalist for French television,
during which time he made several documentaries about Africa, so he
knows the terrain well.
Improbably cast as the ambiguous lead character Alex is Stéphane
Guillon, a comedian turned actor who is best known in France for his
frequent appearances on Canal+ in such shows as
Salut les Terriens. In what
will probably count as the most unsympathetic role of his career,
Guillon gives a remarkably true-to-life portrayal of a pathologically
committed racist whose conscience ends up being uncomfortably stirred
by his enforced stopover in a small African village. Right from
the outset, Guillon's character comes across as the very
personification of the West's exploitative attitude to Africa. He
thinks he can get anything he wants by waving banknotes and barking out
orders, and it takes him a while to realise that his position of
strength derives not from his superiority but from the willingness of
the African people he encounters to prostitute themselves to him for
their own advantage.
And prostitution is regretfully the
mot
juste, the most succinct way of characterising Africa's
relationship with the rich countries of the north. One character,
a beautiful local woman name Martina, is elected to migrate to France
so that she can earn money (presumably as a call girl) to support the
villagers. Martina's fate typifies present-day Africa's
relationship with the West, a willingness to submit to a sordid
arrangement in return for a bare subsistence allowance that cannot be
obtained by any other means. The film's controversial subtext is
that Africa is entirely complicit in this relationship, too willing to
play the prostitute for meagre rewards instead of standing up to the
West and demanding something better.
Le Temps de la kermesse est
terminé is not an easy film to watch and many will
doubtless be put off and offended by its in-your-face frankness.
Whilst most of what it shows is shocking and, at times, pretty
sickening, it makes its point effectively and concludes with a glimmer
of optimism, with the diehard racist and serial black-exploiter Alex
beginning to experience something of a moral awakening. Perhaps
the West has too many vested interests in its present morally dubious
arrangements with Africa to undergo a similar Damascene conversion, but
we can but hope. Africa deserves better, and, quite frankly, so
does the West.
© James Travers 2013
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Film Synopsis
Alex had only intended to spend a few minutes in Kupala, just enough
time to fill up his petrol tank. But when his car breaks down he
ends up having to stay there for longer than he had planned. In
this remote African village, Alex soon loses his bearings and
unwittingly becomes a matter of great concern to the villagers...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.