Vers le sud

Heading South | In den Süden
In 1970s Haiti, a holiday town near the capital Port-au-Prince is a destination primarily for American female tourists. Two of them have been here before and have eyes on the same young lover, Legba. Now a full-on rivalry for his affections has developed between Ellen, a French professor, and housewife Brenda. At first, the beautiful Caribbean beaches were pure paradise for the sex tourists, but now conflict is in the air. When Legba’s life outside the tourist resort starts to play a role, the violence of the island dictatorship starts to seep into the insular world of the vacationers … Based on short stories by Haitian writer Dany Laferrière, Vers le sud unmasks the rules of post-colonial exploitation between rich, white women from the north and the attractive, young black men of the south. Charlotte Rampling imbues the character of the clear-eyed ringleader of the sex-hungry ladies with enough nuance to evoke sympathy for a woman unapologetically pursuing the fulfilment of her emotional needs.
by Laurent Cantet
with Charlotte Rampling, Karen Young, Louise Portal, Ménothy César, Lys Ambroise, Jackenson Pierre Olmo Diaz, Wilfried Paul, Anotte Saint Ford
France / Canada / Belgium 2005 French, English 107’ Colour Rating R12

With

  • Charlotte Rampling
  • Karen Young
  • Louise Portal
  • Ménothy César
  • Lys Ambroise
  • Jackenson Pierre Olmo Diaz
  • Wilfried Paul
  • Anotte Saint Ford

Crew

Director Laurent Cantet
Screenplay Laurent Cantet, Robin Campillo based on three short stories by Dany Laferrière
Cinematography Pierre Milon
Editing Robin Campillo
Sound Claude Lahaye
Production Design Frankie Diago
Costumes Denis Sperdouklis
Producers Caroline Benjo, Carole Scotta, Simon Arnal-Szlovak