Art

feature: french-ivorian filmmaker isabelle boni-claverie explores racial discrimination in new documentary “too black to be french?”

February 10, 2016

Filmmaker Isabelle Boni-Claverie’s new documentary “Too Black To Be French?” peels back the layers of race relations in institutionally colorblind France. Boni-Claverie, a French-Ivorian, who grew up in upper class French society, unpacks how privilege doesn’t mean protection from racial discrimination. In the doc, Boni-Claverie solicits anonymous individuals to speak on their daily experiences with discrimination and micro-aggressions. “Too Black To Be French?” also features interviews with historians and academics Pap Ndiaye, Eric Fassin, Achille Mbembe, and Patrick Simon to help contextualize racial history in France. Down below, check out several clips from the documentary. In New York City? The documentary will be playing Feb. 17 at 6:15 P.M. at La Maison Française of New York University (free and open to the public) and at Columbia University’s Columbia Maison Française on Feb. 18 at 6 P.M. (also free and open to the public). Isabelle Boni-Claverie will also be holding a discussion after each showing.

By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor


Isabelle Boni-Claverie’s website: http://www.boniclaverie.com/


*Erin White is AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.

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