Chocolat by Claire Denis
Movie is a Flashback from France who grows up in Cameroon and watches her mother, Aimee have sexual tension with Protée
Keita! L'Heritage du Griot by Dani Kouyaté
Mabo (protag) meets the elderly Griot (kouyate) who teaches him of his legacy and how his family descended from Buffalo while acting as a retelling of the 13th century epic: Sundjata
Welcome by Phillipe Lioret
Bilal escapes war torn Iraq and walks to the port of Calais. His goal is to reunite with his gf Mina. Simon (swim coach) harbors him as a refugee and teaches him swim lessons.
Bilal drowns 800m from UK coast while hiding from coast guard
En Attendant le Bonheur by Abderrahmane Sissako
Depiction of SMall west african town that struggles with modern and foreign influences. Abdallah returns to Nouadhibou to visit his mother. feels disconnect from his people (wears western clothes, doesn't speak language). Film also gives look into lives of singer and electrician
Le Havre by Aki Kaurismaki
A struggling French author, Marcel marx, discovers Idrissa who had been a refugee found in a shipping container. Marcel and other friends of town help foster the young bb while Inspector Monet searches for the bb.
Arletty has mystery illness
Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako
Kidane gets into an altercation with a fisherman and kills him (Amadou). Because Kidane can't pay a blood payment of 40 cows, he and his wife are executed. The rest of the movie follows other instances of the absurd Sharia law (female fish seller must wear gloves to sell fish, woman is lashed for singing in a room with non-husband male, sports are banned, music is banned). Irony of film is that Jihadist occupants are rather hypocritical and can't live up to rules.
Bienvenue Chez le Ch'tis by Danny Boon
Phillipe (manager of post office) pretends to be handicapped to get a promotion. Manangement realizes the lie and punishes him with 2 years in Bergues, France.
Cold, rainy place with a weird language. Phillipe falls in love with the town and makes a friend in Antoine (played by Danny Boon). 3 years later Phillipe is transferred to the south and cries
Inch'Allah Dimanche by Yamina Benguigui
Film follows Zouina and her new life in France. She is tormented by her Mother in Law.
She struggles between adopting western influences and keeping modern Arab tradition. Because of that, her Husband Ahmed forbids her from leaving house. She finds her beacon (Malika) who shuns her. eventually Zouina gains her own strength, and meets strong women in her community, finds comfort in emerging feminist dialogue
