EntertainmentLifestyle
On the big screen: Chocolat
Starring: Clotilde Hesme, James Thierree and Omar Sy.
Directed by: Roschdy Zem.
This biopic tells of Cuban-born Rafael Padilla, who rose to fame in France in the late 1800s.
Under the stage-name Chocolat, and together with the white clown Footit, Padilla gains popularity with racist circus routines that reduce him to a buffoon.
When he tries to carve out a more dignified niche for himself, the same audiences that loved the racist cliché turn their back on him.
Roschdy Zem has explored the theme of racism both as an actor and director.
He continues to do so in this biopic, praised for its historically accurate feel.
French with English subtitles (2016).
