Three Dancing Slaves (2004)

Annecy is no tourist destination for three working-class Algerian brothers and their father, in the months after their mother has died. Marc is deeply troubled: he tries to stiff drug ... See full summary »

Director:

Gaël Morel

Writers:

Christophe Honoré, Gaël Morel

Stars:

Nicolas Cazalé, Stéphane Rideau, Thomas Dumerchez

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cazalé	...	Marc
Stéphane Rideau	...	Christophe
Thomas Dumerchez	...	Olivier
Salim Kechiouche	...	Hicham
Bruno Lochet	...	Le père
Vincent Martinez	...	Le "professeur"
Jackie Berroyer	...	Robert
Aure Atika	...	Emilie
Nicolas Paz	...	Montana
Mathias Olivier	...	Ryan
Gary Mary	...	Luc
Geordie Piseri-Diaz	...	Jérémy
Clément Dettli	...	Henry
Pierre Vallin	...	Sly
Janine Ribollet	...	La mère de Sly

Storyline

Annecy is no tourist destination for three working-class Algerian brothers and their father, in the months after their mother has died. Marc is deeply troubled: he tries to stiff drug dealers and then plots revenge. Christophe is released from jail, lands a job, and must overcome various temptations in order to keep it. Olivier, nearing 18, may be falling in love with Hicham, a young man who constantly practices capoeira on the shores of the lake. Both violence and fraternity are close to the surface of most interactions. How each brother emerges from his challenge comprises the film's drama. Is there any way in which these men can be a family?

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Plot Keywords:

male frontal nudity | cutting one's pubic hair | gang | pubic hair | teenage boy | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Connections

Features Apocalypse Now (1979)

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Soundtracks

Morning Bird
Written by Luke Steele (as Steele, L.)
Performed by The Sleepy Jackson
(P) 2003 Music Australia - Copyright Control

User Reviews

A beautiful experience overall.

We tend to laud films like American Beauty because they peel away the veneer of idealized American domesticity to reveal lives of quiet desperation. We take comfort in that -- knowing that even seemingly perfect lives are, under the surface, as miserable as we might view our own to be. In Morel's Le Clan (Three Dancing Slaves was the title I saw it under here in the States), we get a truer, less sanitized view of real lives laid bare. The desperation isn't quiet. It's crazed and exposed and all too believable. It's a very masculine film showing how men just do what they do. No apologies and, all too often, no explanations. Yet, somehow, it's relatable and understandable. Yes, it's a slice of pain punctuated with too few moments of what we would call joy. But sprinkled throughout are small glimpses of a more beautiful world. It's not lost on these characters. And it's not lost on the viewer. I found it haunting and heart-wrenching.

Details

Official Sites:

TLA Releasing

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

16 June 2004 (France)

Also Known As:

Three Dancing Slaves

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,668, 4 September 2005

Gross USA:

$21,888

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,888

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sépia Productions, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Centre Européen Cinématographique Rhône-Alpes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1