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

Gorgeous, true, strange

Okay, so I registered on IMDb after years of use just to counter the other comment I saw. This film rocked. Lyrical, gentle, raw, and new-making. I've lived in Seattle for many years now, and this film showed me visions I'll dream happily about in my old age.

It's contemplative, not exactly action-packed, but definitely action-filled. The counterpoint between the narrative and the on-screen action is true to the city, more than any art I've ever experienced.

Highly recommended, but watch it with somebody you like.

--- Ah, okay. The machine wants more lines in this review. So much for brevity, and here I thought I was being long-winded. The scene in Gasworks park alone makes the movie worth seeing. I can't imagine that I'd like this movie so well if I lived in some easterly nether- regional city, but for us Pacific Coasters, its a delight.