I, a Negro

Treichville is a poor suburb of Abidjah, the capital of Ivory Coast and the destination of the two protagonists in this docudrama by Jean Rouch. The two men in question are originally from Niger, and they call themselves Eddie Constantine and Edward G. Robinson, clear indications of who their heroes are. The perpetual conflict between traditional ways of life and new Western imports comes up several times as the two men continue on their daily rounds and reveal a little about their hopes for the future. MOI, UN NOIR pre-dated most of the key works of the French “New Wave” and was an inspiration for the new movement. The film received a French Film Critics award in 1959.