The Negro (film)

The Negro (French: Le Nèg') is a 2002 Canadian drama film, directed by Robert Morin.[1] An examination of racism, the film centres on a police officer in a small Quebec town who is trying to reconstruct, through the conflicting testimony of witnesses and participants, the events of the night before, when the petty vandalism of a woman's lawn jockey escalated within a few hours to the woman being found dead and the young Black Canadian suspected of committing the vandalism having been viciously beaten in a field.[2]

The Negro
FrenchLe Nèg
Directed byRobert Morin
Written byRobert Morin
Produced byLorraine Dufour
StarringIannicko N'Doua-Légaré
Béatrice Picard
Robin Aubert
Vincent Bilodeau
Sandrine Bisson
CinematographyJean-Pierre St-Louis
Edited byLorraine Dufour
Music byBertrand Chénier
Production
companies
Coop Vidéo de Montréal
Les Productions 23
Distributed byChristal Films
Release date
  • September 11, 2002 (2002-09-11) (TIFF)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageQuebec French

The film's original title, equivalent in Quebec French to "the nigger", was controversial, with a Black youth group in Montreal demanding that the film's title and promotional poster be changed.[3] Morin, however, defended his choice to use a controversial title, stating that "If it stirs up some controversy, then at least people will be talking about racism."[1]

The film's cast includes Iannicko N'Doua-Légaré, Béatrice Picard, Robin Aubert, Vincent Bilodeau, Emmanuel Bilodeau, Sandrine Bisson, René-Daniel Dubois, Jean-Guy Bouchard and Dorothée Berryman.

Awards

The film was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2002.[4]

The film received four Genie Award nominations at the 23rd Genie Awards in 2003: Best Original Screenplay (Morin), Best Costume Design (Sophie Lefebvre), Best Editing (George Browne and Lorraine Dufour) and Best Art Direction or Production Design (André-Line Beauparlant).[5]

The film received three Prix Jutra nominations, for Best Direction (Morin), Best Screenplay (Morin) and Best Editing (Dufour).[6] Dufour won the award for Best Editing.

References
  1. "Le Neg' shows up bigots: Morin's work is tough, personal". 'Montreal Gazette, October 21, 2002.
  2. "Le Neg' beautiful mess of a movie". Edmonton Journal, March 10, 2003.
  3. "Montreal film, Le Neg, stirs up controversy about racism, bigots". Canadian Press, October 21, 2002.
  4. "Lots to love in Canada's films: Judges select country's top 10". Vancouver Sun, January 22, 2003.
  5. "Ararat leads but Egoyan left out". The Globe and Mail, December 11, 2002.
  6. "Seraphin leads with 9 Jutra nominations". Montreal Gazette, January 29, 2003.
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