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

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

Excellent movie

I disagree greatly with the previous review. Yes, there is no actual mystery plot, but the movie was not a mystery nor was it supposed to be. Now I don't know what the "original script" called for, and frankly it doesn't matter. What we have is the finished movie and should take it as it has been created. The underlying plot WAS the inner conflict over the relationship between the bike cop and his girlfriend and the crimes that he encounters take a back stage to this.

The movie is filmed very softly and captures the contrast between the harsh realities of the city and the beauty of the scenery. This mirrors the conflict within the character and how he operates within his surroundings. The lead character is beauty surrounded by contrasting darkness as his relationship which is a contrast between deep love and deep pain. I believe that the filmmakers tackled this complex character with compassion but without a false intensity which makes the film both believable and human. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes to delve into issues of humanity, however if you are looking for a great cops and robbers story, you WILL be disappointed. And frankly, I'm happy that this story grew beyond simple archetypes.

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