theGrio

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Living
    • Health
  • Inspiration
    • Good News
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • The Dish
  • News
    • Education
    • Sports
    • Black History

Entertainment

  • Drake in GQ (file photo)

    Drake gets 'Punk'd'

  • Tim-Duncan-Dominant

    Where is the love?

  • Michael-Jordan-Bobcats

    A cry for help

  • African-American couple fighting

    Are ‘good’ men single?

French film makes slavery a laughing matter

by Janelle Richards | May 24, 2011 at 9:53 AM
Comments
Print

A French movie Case Départ, loosely translated into “Going Back,” is set to be released this year on July 6, and it may stir up some conflict. The two main characters in the movie are two half brothers, Joel and Régis, and they embody what some may consider racially insensitive behavior.

Joel has darker skin, and sees his life in France as disadvantaged because of his complexion — he is unemployed and blames the government. Régis has fairer skin and has had a different experience living in France — he has a comfortable life and he doesn’t have any racial insecurities.

They get sent back in time for destroying a document that has been passed down through their father’s Cameroonian side of the family for generations.

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘CASE DEPART’ HERE:

Case Départ (2011) Trailer by Afro-Style-Communication

An old lady they meet warns them not to destroy the document, but they do anyway. As a punishment they are sent back to the Translatlantic slavery period. There, they live as slaves and struggle to adhere to the rules assigned to them by their master who refers to them as “Negroes.” They realize how they have taken their modern day life for granted, and want to get back home.

The movie begins when the brothers have to escape the plantation and hustle their way back to present day. Thomas Ngijol and Fabrice Eboué wrote the screenplay and act as the brothers; Lionel Steketee directed the film.

In the past, other countries have created media that hasn’t gone over well with Americans. Last year, an Australia commercial drew angry criticism for depicting a white man calming down people of African descent with fried chicken.

And then, there was the “Darlie” Chinese toothpaste that was made by a Hong-Kong based company, Hawley & Hazel, which was commonly known as “black people toothpaste.”

Case Départ may not be well received in the United States, and we will have to wait until July to find out how well it does in Europe.

Additional reporting by Aiche Sissoko.

  • oprah-finale.png
    Next Story:

    Oprah Winfrey focuses on fans during finale

  • spike-george.png
    Previous Story:

    Spike Lee calls out George W. Bush for Katrina response

Filed in: Entertainment, Top Stories, Video | Related Topics: Case Depart, Film, France, Slavery, Time Travel, Trailer
  • Top Stories in Entertainment

    • Slideshow: Black celebs living with diabetes Slideshow: Black celebs living with diabetes
    • Slideshow: Cee-Lo’s most ‘crazy’ costumes Slideshow: Cee-Lo’s most ‘crazy’ costumes
    • Black superheroes shine on the big screen Black superheroes shine on the big screen
    • Slideshow: Hip-hop stars who have found religion Slideshow: Hip-hop stars who have found religion
    • WATCH: Tami Roman breaks down on ‘Wendy Williams Show’
    • First look: Andre 3000 as Hendrix
    • Why is Meagan Good staying celibate
    • Justin Bieber reportedly training with Mike Tyson
  • New Stories on theGrio

    • The White House defends its anti-poverty agenda The White House defends its anti-poverty agenda
    • Should Diddy’s son accept a scholarship to UCLA? Should Diddy’s son accept a scholarship to UCLA?
    • Emory acquires rare African-American photos Emory acquires rare African-American photos
    • Anti-Obama video airs on ‘Fox and Friends’ Anti-Obama video airs on ‘Fox and Friends’
    • Chaka Khan’s weight loss from protein diet
    • MediaTakeOut claims Beyoncé is pregnant again
    • Michael Jordan’s son ‘accidentally’ tweets porn star
    • Tyler Perry slams reports of Bobbi Kristina walking off show
  • LIKE TheGrio

  • Hot on Facebook

  • Category Cloud

    Atlanta Black History Business Chicago Detroit Education Entertainment Health Inspiration Living Los Angeles Miami Money News New York Opinion Philadelphia Politics Reviews Service and Activism Slideshow Sports TheGrio's 100 TheGrio's 100 Women Top Stories Travel and Leisure Video Washington DC
  • More from theGrio

More Stories on theGrio

Top News

Politics

  • .S. President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally at the Virginia Commonwealth University. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)

    Obama aides plan to attack Romney sharply

  • New polls show tight race in Iowa, Nevada, Colorado

  • The White House defends its anti-poverty agenda

  • Anti-Obama video airs on 'Fox and Friends'

» Read More in Politics

Business

  • Blacks in tech

    VC fund seeks minority tech start-up stars

  • KFC recipes revealed in new book

  • Black Enterprise celebrates largest black companies

  • Facebook unveils Instagram rival

» Read More in Business

Living

  • Singer Chaka Khan

    Chaka Khan's weight loss from protein diet

  • Can you accept 'Single Ladies' -- as is?

  • Author responds to 'Black women and fat'

  • Female civil rights hero remembered in new documentary

» Read More in Living

Inspiration

  • emory-black-history-photo-16x9

    Emory acquires rare African-American photos

  • Homeless Cleveland student earns scholarship to Harvard

  • Mandela celebrates 100th anniversary of African National Congress

  • Obama honors Medal of Freedom recipients

» Read More in Inspiration

Entertainment

  • Sean 'Diddy' Combs and son Justin Dior Combs

    Should Diddy's son accept a scholarship to UCLA?

  • MediaTakeOut claims Beyoncé is pregnant again

  • Tyler Perry slams reports of Bobbi Kristina walking off show

  • Is Queen Latifah cheating on Jenny Craig with Fatburger?

» Read More in Entertainment

News

  • Former Liberian President Charles Taylor waits for the start of his sentencing judgement in the courtroom of the Special Court for Sierra Leone(SCSL) in Leidschendam, near The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday May 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Toussaint Kluiters, Pool)

    Liberia's past and future in the spotlight

  • Michael Jordan's son 'accidentally' tweets porn star

  • Venus WIlliams ousted at French Open

  • 3 black workers find noose in front of locker

» Read More in News

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Living
  • Inspiration
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Help
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with TheGrio
  • About
©2012 NBCUniversal
Powered by WordPress.com VIP