SOLEIL Ô

An African immigrant arrives in Paris, the "land of our ancestors, the Gauls", and has to face a very racist society. His diploma in accountancy is almost a handicap and he can only find very lowly jobs. The subject of immigration gives the starting signal for a theatrical parody denouncing white imperialism in Africa, from slavery and colonialism up to the new neo-colonial policies. Everything starts with a surrealist mass in which a white priest baptizes a group of Africans, giving them Christian names and then makes them march along like soldiers. The cross becomes a sword and the Africans begin to kill one another, until a white man puts an end to the fratricide war brandishing a banknote. In a last meditative sequence, a succession of portraits of the martyrs of the black people, from Lumumba to Malcolm X, appear superimposed on the screen.

Director and screenplay: Med Hondo.
Director of photography: François Catonne.
Sound: Jean-Paul Loublier, Yves Allard, Alain Contreau.
Music: Georges Anderson.
Editor: Michèle Masnier, Clément Menuet.
Cast: Robert Liensol, Theo Legitimus, Ambroise M'Bia, Akonio Dolo, Jean Baptiste Tiemelé.
Production company: Films Soleil Ô e Ministère de la Coopération Français.