Chocolate

Drama, directed by : Roschdy Zem, writing credit (in alphabetical order) : Cyril Geli, Olivier Gorce, Gérard Noiriel, Roschdy Zem, cast (in credit order) : Omar Sy, James Thierrée, Clotilde Hesme, Olivier Gourmet, Frédéric Pierrot, Noémie Lvovsky, Alice de Lancquerainz, Alex Descas, Olivier Rebourdin, Thibault de Montalembert, Hélène Soubeyrand, Xavier Beauvois, Christophe Fluder, Antonin Maurel, Mick Holsbeke, produced by : Eric et Nicolas Altmayer, music by : Gabriel Yared, cinematography by : Thomas Letellier, film editing by : Monica Coleman, casting by : David Bertrand, production design by : Pascaline Chavanne, makeup department : Veronique Basle, production management : Florent Cocatre, assistant director : Mathieu Schiffman, Julie Richard, art department : Lionel Callari, sound department : Mathieu Fichet, Vincent Gillon, special effects by : Georges Démétrau, Max Garnier, visuals effects by : Etienne Bolo, Sophie Denize, Simon Descamps, Damien Hurgon, JeremyTosseghini, camera and electrical department : Brice Bailly, Cyril Brossard, Tarik Rabeihi, animation department : Katarina Djordjevic, casting department : Julie Duhayot, costume and wardrobe department : Hussam Korkut, Julien Souchet, music department : Jeff Atmajian, Isabel Griffith, Jim Honeyman, Oliver Howlett, Venda Kakon, David Menke, other crew : Sandrine Bourgain, Clémence Guillon, Marie Guillon, Lucie Gallet, James Thierrée.

The movie "Chocolate" speaks about the riding and the falling of the first famous black artist in the Paris of la Belle Epoque (ending of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century). The both producers Eric and Nicolas Altermayer have given the opportunity to the french director Roschdy Zem to adapt in a free way the book "Chocolate the true story of an unknown clown" written by Gérard Noiriel the french specialist of the immigration story. We must also notice that the french director Roschdy Zem and one of the both leading actors Omar Sy fight against the racism.

Chocolat and Footit

The movie begins at the end of the 19th century when the black clown Kenanga performs as a cannibal among the artists of the Delvaux circus. The white clown Georges Footit must find new ways for performing and he decides to associate himself with Kenanga. His goal is to create a duet composed by a white authoritarian clown and a black drudge clown. The duet becomes quickly to be famous and the owner of the circus earns a lot of money. At the beginning of his artistic career Chocolat doesn't know what racism means because he lives in a paternalist society where the blacks are considered as funny persons. The racism against the black people will grow highly with the riots against the colonial system of the french colonial empire.

Footit and Chocolate

The comical duet Footit and Chocolate recieves an enthousiastic welcome and the owner of the New Circus in Paris Joseph Oller succeeds to persuade the both to perform in his circus. The success is there and Chocolat becomes to be a famous artist of the french stage. At this time le Figaro was the first cultural paper and the articles written by the journalists congratulate Chocolat for his talent. Chocolat gives towards his career a new image of the black people in France but the black intellectuals who lives in France didn't like to see that the only image given was the image of a clown. Chocolat becomes to drink a lot and has many love affairs. The director of the movie shows here the fragility of Chocolat. He didn't succeed to find the right persons available to help him during his career.

Chocolat reading a paper.

The career of Chocolat will know a tragic ending when the famous french publicist Felix Potin decides to use his notoriety for selling a soap. The posters of the publicity show Chocolat as an animal. This publicity reminds us the publicity for the chocolate trade mark banania where we can see a senegalese sharpshooter depicted as an animal. Chocolat feels himself very humiliated by this publicity and his first reaction is to oppose himself to the domination of the white clown. In the movies shooted by the Lumière brothers we can watch Chocolat beaten by Footit and also Footit beaten by Chocolat. Chocolat becomes to learn the reading and discovers that he improves a real passion for the Othello part in the Shakespeare theater. Othello is a colored person but this part is always performed by white actors makeup in black. He succeeds to perform as Othello but the public didn't like his performance and his career is over.

The real Footit and Chocolate.

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Chocolat (film, 2016)

Chocolat est un film biographique français réalisé par Roschdy Zem, sorti en 2016. Il s'inspire du livre Chocolat, clown nègre : l'histoire oubliée du premier artiste noir de la scène frança...

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolat_(film,_2016)