Black Girl (La Noire de...)

Jean Vigo Prize 1966

Best African feature Festival of African Arts, Dakar 1966

'Golden Tanit' Carthage Film Festival, 1966

BLACK GIRL

Will someone be waiting for me?

You made it all right? Let's go!

Have a nice crossing?

Lovely country, France!

Yes, sir.

Ermitage Road

Here we are at last!

Is that you?

Hello, Diouana.

I hope you'll like it here.

I'll show you your room while we wait for the children.

That's your bed.

And that's the Riviera,

Juan-Les-Pins, Nice,

Cannes,

Antibes.

Now let's go see the kitchen.

The kitchen, the bathroom,

the bedroom, the living room.

That's all I do!

That's not what I came to France for!

What are the people here like?

The doors are all shut, day and night!

Night and day!

I came to take care of children!

Where are they?

Why does the mistress always shout at me?

I'm no cook! I'm no cleaning woman!

You're not going to a party!

You've been dressed like that for three weeks!

I bought this apron for you.

Let's see...

Turn around.

We're having guests for lunch.

Make us rice with mafe.

Why this apron?

What am I in this house?

I was never a cook!

Why does the mistress want rice?

In Dakar, her cook never made rice!

Maybe the rice isn't the same in Dakar.

I'm here for the children. Where are they?

Why did the mistress send for me if they aren't with her?

After this rice, maybe they'll show me the city.

Maybe we'll go to Cannes,

Nice, Monte Carlo.

We'll look at all the pretty shops,

and when the mistress pays me,

I'll buy pretty dresses,

shoes,

silk undies,

and pretty wigs.

And I'll get my picture taken on the beach,

and I'll send it back to Dakar, and they'll all die of jealousy!

I hope they like my rice.

My sauce isn't too spicy.

What if the children don't come?

- I'm dying to taste it! - You'll see, it's good but very spicy!

- Here. - Yes.

Thanks.

Genuine African cooking!

Please pass the rice.

You like it?

- Yes, it's very good! - Very spicy!

I like spicy food! I'm in luck!

Diouana...

A plate of rice and wine.

They eat like pigs and jabber away!

And do they drink!

A little sauce.

L'£'S good!

A bit more.

You must come to Dakar!

Africa isn't safe now, all those civil wars.

Senegal is safe.

Yes, it's very good, but a little rich.

And well-prepared! Your cook's a gem!

Africans only eat rice.

- Just what is mafe? - Is it fattening?

I hope it's an aphrodisiac!

Always kidding!

Thank you, Diouana.

Do you mind, miss?

I've never kissed a black woman.

I've got a feeling she's angry.

Their independence has made them less natural.

He was just joking!

Your rice was fine! I'm proud of you!

Make us some good coffee!

Put that down.

Come here!

Public letter-writer

Where are you going?

To look for work.

It all began that morning

in Dakar.

I went up and down the stairs

from one floor to the next.

It was the same all over.

Nobody wanted a maid.

- Think of the future! - For me, the future is black!

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

- A man can't have opinions any more! - That's obstruction!

So you say!

It's in your interest!

- In your district... - I'm elected by the people!

- Not so loud! - Why not? I say 'no'!

Think of your family!

He's right. You have to ease off a bit.

Excuse me...

I don't want any!

He picked me up. All he did was look at me.

My mind was elsewhere.

I had to have work.

The street was empty except for two women.

They were lovely. I watched them go by.

But he kept on talking.

He told me about the square where maids wait for work.

When we got there, he left me.

I promised to see him again.

And like the other girls, I sat on the curb to wait.

The sun passed over us several times,

but we all came back every morning and evening.

That morning, I went to the square as usual.

The others were there,

and I sat down on the curb

as I did every day, to wait for destiny.

She came up from behind.

She passed us in review.

No one could see her eyes.

She looked us over one at a time.

We saw she was looking for a maid.

They rushed her.

Each wanted to be chosen.

The lady backed away

from all those reaching hands.

I was getting up when the lady came towards me

and asked me if I wanted a job.

'Yes, ma'am.'

- 'Can you care for children?' - 'Yes, ma'am.'

'You've worked for white folks?'

'No, ma'am.'

She hired me anyway. I was happy.

I had a job! When I went home that evening,

I was very, very happy!

I've got a job!

I've got a job with white folks!

SCHOOL

As usual, Mother was there.

And I told her about my job.

Mother threw down the mask and told me to be brave.

Give me the mask and I'll give you 50 francs on pay day.

It's for me?

Yes, ma'am.

A present from the maid.

Looks like the real thing!

You were off yesterday. This is the new nursery maid.

Tell her the house rules.

What she breaks, she pays for.

- Feed her. - Yes, ma'am.

Be careful. Don't fall.

These are the children.

Sophie,

Damien,

and Philippe.

Now go play outside.

In Dakar, I didn't do the cooking

or the laundry.

I only cared for the children.

I took them for walks,

took them to school,

and brought them home again.

I'm not so sure!

- In Senegal... - With Senghor, it is.

I'll have to think it over.

It's a golden opportunity!

But all those civil wars! I'm a family man!

From a distance, it seems worse that it is.

But look at the Congo!

Senegal isn't the Congo! And life is easy there.

How long before I'd get back to France?

You get leave every two years. And there's no risk.

Part of your salary is paid in France.

It sounds interesting...

- What about housing? - Everything is taken care of.

You'd have no worries.

The coffee.

- Does she speak French? - No.

- She understands. - Instinctively?

I suppose so.

Like an animal!

Anyway, she cooks well.

It's time for us to go.

- Bye. - Goodbye.

- Bye. - See you soon.

You must come to Dakar!