Vénus Noire
Co-production: Artémis Production (B) – MK2 (FR)
director: Abdellatif Kechiche (Fr)
Language: French and English
Shooting in Bruges: August 2009
South Africa, 2002: After years of diplomatic intrigue, Sarah Baartman is finally buried in her native country.
Two centuries before, Sarah was the young slave of an African farmer named Caezar. His wife convinced him to accompany his friend Alexander Dunlop to Europe to display Sarah’s voluptuous body and thus make a fortune. And so, the young girl left her country hoping to return as soon as she had regained her freedom…
In London, the exhibition proves to be a success, but Caezar and Dunlop get into a disagreement after being accused of slavery. Caezar starts working together with Réaux, a bear tamer. Together, they travel to France, where the scientists of the Musée de l’Homme are very interested in the unique anatomy of the Hottentot. As Sarah refuses to serve as a human guinea pig and no longer supports to be exhibited, she is abandoned by Caezar. Réaux forces her to prostitute herself. When the young girl, at the end of her strength, succumbs to an infection, Réaux sells her body to the scientists…
