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

Identity of "Bush Assassin" revealed!

Hey, LuckyStar, I just watched this movie and saw the name of the actor who played the "Bush Assassin." His name is Jim Newman.

As a Seattlite, I really liked seeing all the familiar settings, like the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Gasworks Park, Smith Tower, and others.

The lack of plot and dramatic tension limited my ability to enjoy this, but I found the main character to be interesting, complex, surprising, and occasionally very funny. Also, some of those bizarre crime episodes were pretty entertaining, as some of you have already said.

I can't recommend this to film-goers who require a compelling plot, but if you like an original character study, give it a shot.