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“The black community doesn’t exist” Cinema

He was a rapper in the Cell, a group from Caen. And even if he admits that he had no talent for rap, he took advantage of his knowledge of the environment to direct in 2005 “Des halls au bac”, a documentary on the hip-hop scene. In “Simply Black”, co-produced with John Wax, he embodies his alter ego in a funny documentary. Meeting with the actor Jean-Pascal Zadi, hero of this comedy which comes out when the question of racism resurfaces.

To what extent did reality inspire this bogus documentary?

Jean-Pascal Zadi. With John Wax, the co-director, we wanted to denounce a situation. It is no secret to anyone, in terms of representativeness, the situation of blacks in France is not terrible. We started from the prism of a pseudo-activist primarily interested in light. It was extremely important to anchor the film in a certain reality. It is for this reason that everyone plays their own role.

Why did you choose to play a cardboard activist?

Jean-Pascal Zadi. Because it’s funny. The comedy plays on the characters with flaws. My character is swollen like a balloon. There is truth in what he says but is it the cause or the glory that interests him? Even if he is an opportunist, is what he defends false? It is the niche of comedy. This character is complex. Everything is not black or white even if my character is a bit of a bastard. My slightly deviant nature pushes me to make fun of things. I wondered what it means to be an activist today, on the causes to defend. It seemed logical to me to talk about this theme of racism, to question the idea of ​​a community and what it means to be black and French.

What can the film bring to the debate on racism?

Jean-Pascal Zadi. We try to put things into words. The film is called “Tout simply noir”, in reference to the rap group of the 1990s, but also because in France, whites often find it difficult to say black. They say black. In the film, we name things, the Whites, the Arabs, to better deconstruct them. Recognizing the underlying things that already exist is a first step. The plurality of characters in the film shows that it is not the color of the skin that unites people. We are black and all different. It is in the eyes of others that we meet, when they perceive us as black.

The film also questions the existence of a black community in France

Jean-Pascal Zadi. She does not exist. We have to stop talking about this. It is when you perceive the other because of his color that problems arise. It is because they were perceived as black that George Floyd or Adama Traoré suffered this violence. If we speak of a black community, it is because we do not have the same opportunities as some people in society. We are less represented, do not benefit from the same dreams. A young black man does not see many black actors or politicians. He sees rappers and footballers. His way of projecting himself into the world is not the same as that of a young white man. His imagination is limited. In this sense, we can possibly speak of a black community because we share the same disadvantages. But, intrinsically, we have nothing to do with each other.

What does the unbolting of the statue of Schœlcher inspire in you?

Jean-Pascal Zadi. France is a modern society which wants to be at the forefront of democracy. It is important to question yourself. The fact that Schoelcher’s statue is unbolted just means that people want us to listen to them. These situations happen because people feel like they are not part of history, being left out. A black man who complains is always referred to victimization. It is an error on the part of the president to respond only by ensuring that no statue will be unbolted. He is the president of all French people. It is interesting to question these symbols in a changing world and society. I took the side of comedy because we are listened to better. But it’s boring to always go through her to talk about these things. “Case Départ” (comedy on slavery – Editor’s note) would it have been produced if it had not been a comedy?

In this case, how do you explain that a Spike Lee has, for example, freedom of the city in France?

Jean-Pascal Zadi. It is better seen and easier to denounce injustices in the United States, to speak of these horrible Americans. Rachida Dati was overwhelmed, moved to tears upon seeing the death of George Floyd. We would also have liked to see her tears for Adama Traoré. It is so common to see a black man killed by a cop in the United States that you got used to it tragically. But there we have images on the horror for eight minutes. It is new and it changes everything. Suddenly, everyone is upset, including Rachida Dati.

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