Le Rire et le couteau

Sergio, a well-intentioned man in his thirties, travels to Guinea-Bissau on behalf of an NGO to give his approval for a road construction project.

Through encounters and exchanges with people whose codes he does not understand, he gradually lets go of his way of interpreting the world. A group of young friends arouse his curiosity and desires, while NGO officials threaten his convictions about his work... Through his experiences, Sergio gradually lets go of his theories and fears, which cause him to lose his fantasies and prejudices, and finally connects with others.
 
This epic novel is not too long to explore this learning process, which takes place over time. From night-time parties to games of desire, from working relationships to underlying summonses, the film reactivates North-South relations, whether political, economic or sexual.
 
A torrential and luminous work which, beneath its apparent simplicity as a road movie, turns out to be highly political.

A Round table will take place on Wednesday 21 at 19:00, exploring the ways to break free from the legacy of a post colonialism attitude which last in our Western societies, echoing the film Habibi Hussein and Le Rire et le couteau.

Rightholder: anais@paradisecity-films.com