Sugar Cane Alley

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Sugar Cane Alley (French title Rue cases nègres) is a 1983 film directed by Euzhan Palcy. It is set in Martinique in the 1930's, where natives were still treated harshly working field of sugarcane by the white ruling class.

Jose is a young boy who wins a partial scholarship to attend high school in Fort-de-France, the capitol. His grandmother accompanies him there, working as a laundrywoman for the rich white ruling class to pay for costs. Jose deals with pressure around him, especially with his professor. When he writes an essay on the lives of poor blacks, he is accused of plagiarism. Jose runs away from school, back to his small shack in the city. His professor goes to his house and tells Jose that he was wrongly accused, offering an apology. Later, he returns to Black Shack Alley after his grandmother has a heart attack. This happened while she was returning home from a trip to a local clothesmaker to repair Jose's suit. Even as his grandmother dies, Jose is launched into a future he can not control.

The film swept the French Cesars (like the Oscars), and won two awards, including the Silver Lion, at Mostra the Venice Film Festival. The actress, Darling Légitimus, 76 years old at this period, won the Prize of Best Actress (Gold Lion).

with :

Garry Cadenat : José· Darling Légitimus : M’man Tine· Douta Seck : Médouze· Joby Bernabe : M. Saint Louis· Marie Ange Farot : Mme Saint Louis· Francisco Charles : Le gereur· Marie-Jo Descas : la mère de Léopold· Laurent Saint Cyr : Léopold· Henri Melon : M. Roc· Eugène Mona : Douze orteils· Joël Palcy :Carmen· Mathieu Crico: Gesner· Tania Hamel: Tortilla· Maïté Marquet : Aurélie· Dominique Arfi : La patronne de Carmen· Emilie Blameble: Mme Fusil