Heading South (2005)

Three female tourists have their eyes opened while visiting the poverty-stricken and dangerous world of 1980s Haiti.

Director:

Laurent Cantet

Writers:

Laurent Cantet (scenario), Robin Campillo (scenario)

Stars:

Charlotte Rampling, Karen Young, Louise Portal

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlotte Rampling	...	Ellen
Karen Young	...	Brenda
Louise Portal	...	Sue
Ménothy Cesar	...	Legba
Lys Ambroise	...	Albert
Jackenson Pierre Olmo Diaz	...	Eddy
Wilfried Paul	...	Neptune
Anotte Saint Ford	...	Limousine Girl
Marie-Laurence Hérard	...	Airport Woman
Michelet Cassis	...	Charlie
Pierre-Jean Robert	...	Chico
Jean Delinze Salomon	...	Jérémy
Kettline Amy	...	Denise
Daphné Destin	...	Lossita
Guiteau Nestant	...	Frank

Storyline

Haiti, late 1970's. Sea, sex and sun for Ellen, Brenda and Sue, three North American ladies, on the wrong side of forty or fifty-odd, going through an enchanted interlude. Lonely, forsaken, neglected by men in their native countries, they can indulge here in carnal exultation without shame, thanks to handsome local young men they pay a few dollars. Ellen is a Boston French literature professor, Brenda, an unfulfilled wife from Savannah, Georgia and Sue, a sexually frustrated but good-natured Canadian factory worker. In this second garden of Eden they don't care too much about the neighboring poverty nor about Baby Doc's violent dictatorship. The trouble is that that two of the three women have sights on a single man, Legba. And Legba is beginning to be fed up with being a stud...

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Plot Keywords:

sex tourism | haiti | male prostitution | race relations | murder | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Visa d'exploitation en France: #107737.

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Goofs

When Brenda is desperately looking for Legba and she wanders around the village at night, one of the guys she crosses by is wearing a Larry Johnson NBA New York Knicks basketball jacket with number 2. Larry Johnson played for the Knicks in the mid '90s.

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Quotes

[recalling her first time with Legba]
Brenda: We were both lying in our bathing suits on a big rock, basking in the sun. His body fascinated me. Long, lithe, muscular, his skin glistened. I couldn't take my eyes off him. And the later it got, the more I was losing my mind. He was, he was lying there beside me, his eyes were shut. I remember every move I made, as if it was yesterday. I edged my hand over and placed it on his chest. Legba opened his eyes and immediately closed them again. That encouraged ...

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Connections

Edited into La dérive douce d'un enfant de Petit-Goâve (2009)

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Soundtracks

Sobo
Traditional
Performed by Ti Koka et Wanga Negès

User Reviews

Sex starved in Haiti! YAY!

A great topic and script headline 'Heading South' a movie about three women who vacation in Haiti in the 1970's for the sun and surf, but mainly to bed any black men they can find (who are available for the price). I mean, THAT'S fabulous! Who would've thought of that? All of them though, seem to have sights on one man, Legba. The competition for this man, soon becomes to the point that Legba tries to get out of his job as stud-for-hire, to somewhat catastrophic results. The three women, headed by the always excellent Charlotte Rampling, are quite great here, but the star here is the actor playing Legba, Menothy Cesar. The story essentially revolves around him, and he does a great job with actually a really demanding role.

Details

Country:

France Canada Belgium

Language:

French English

Release Date:

25 January 2006 (France)

Also Known As:

Heading South

Filming Locations:

Playa Bonita, Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,200, 5 February 2006

Gross USA:

$898,468

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,294,052

Company Credits

Production Co:

Haut et Court, Les Films Séville, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1