Police Beat (2005)

An African-born bicycle cop encounters strange and mysterious situations on his police beat in urban Seattle.

Director:

Robinson Devor

Writers:

Robinson Devor, Charles Mudede

Stars:

Pape Sidy Niang, Allan Armstrong, Eric Breedlove

6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Pape Sidy Niang	...	Z
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Allan Armstrong	...	Agent
Eric Breedlove
Ingrid Sanai Buron	...	Park Visitor
Zack Carlson	...	Junkie
Heidi Darchuk	...	Comfortable woman
Gray Eubank	...	Priest
Sarah Harlett
Jake Hart	...	Internal Affairs Agent
Dennis Kleinsmith	...	Bullet Proof Vest Man
Jerry Lloyd	...	Goose Killer
Andy McCone	...	Rachel's Neighbor
Scott A. Meola	...	Hedge trimmer
Brandon O'Neill	...	Lonely Housebreaker
Elijah Ostrow	...	Homeless Boy

Storyline

Police Beat is a highly unconventional crime film in which the protagonist Z is so preoccupied with his possibly unfaithful girlfriend that he never once acknowledges criminal world that swirls around him. The crimes Z encounters become mirrors of the his turbulent inner state, allowing him to philosophize about his unstable romantic relationship as well as his own development as an emotional being. While Z's regular interactions are in English, his thoughts ­ the film's narration ­ are in his native Wolof, the primary language of West Africa. In this way, Police Beat is an unusual portrait of an immigrant new to the United States that focuses less on the protagonist's socio-economic difficulties than on his emotional responses to American life.

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Plot Keywords:

police | narration | bicycle | policeman | prostitution | 

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Taglines:

Seven Days of Crime & Delusion

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Wolof

Release Date:

8 September 2006 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Cascadia

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Northwest Film Forum / WigglyWorld Studios, Modern Digital, Police Beat LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wolof (the language spoken in the narration) is the native language of Senegal, but is also spoken widely in parts of Mali, the Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mauritania.

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Connections

Featured in 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006)

User Reviews

I loved it and can't wait for another chance to see it

The thoughts the officer had while performing some mundane or grisly duties are not at all unusual in lines of work that deal with tragedy and death. Not every thought one has at work is with regard to the victim or patient or body-- in fact, many thoughts do not. It's a self preservation skill that those from the outside looking in aren't always familiar with. Nor is the profundity of some of the thoughts. His observations aren't pretentious. Any intelligent person placed in a similar situation would be likewise philosophical. Some reviewers have a hard time grasping these concepts.

I really loved this movie. The narration was great. A lot of people with traumatic/tormenting types of careers will relate to this film- the way one must go on doing one's job, no matter how gruesome- meanwhile, like anyone else, one is preoccupied with one's own personal life, and at other times, consumed with the absurdity of everyday events. I think the film captured this very, very well. I can't wait to see it again.

By the way, I'm not from Seattle, nor do I care for that particular climate, nor am I connected to any film industry or anything. I'm just a regular person who has held the kinds of jobs one needs to completely disconnect from, who happened to be changing the channels at the time this was airing on Sundance Channel.