March 25, 2010

BLACK, a French heist film, will be released on the Evokative Collection of DVDs this April 6th. Directed by Pierre Laffargue, the film stars the French rapper MC Jean Gab’1 (Banlieue 13), Carole Karemera, François Levantal and Anton Yakovlev. BLACK was filmed on location in Paris and Senegal through a Chic Films (A Prophet) production.

Black, a Senegalese bank-robber born and raised in France, is getting over a disastrous heist in which he lost nearly all of his men. He’s seriously thinking of going straight when his cousin Lamine calls him from Dakar: a briefcase full of contraband diamonds has just been deposited in the bank where he works. Thinking this will be an unbelievably easy coup, Black assembles a new gang and quickly flies to Africa. What they haven’t planned, however, is that they are far from being the only ones interested in that briefcase. The corrupt director of the bank, an arm dealer suffering from suppurating psoriasis, a gang of mercenaries from Chechnya and an Interpol agent are also set to get their hands on those diamonds.

This heist film filled with action, peppered with comedy, blaxploitation influences, African mysticism and paced to a funky soundtrack first had its World Premiere in the Fantastic Fest section of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin TX, where it seduced both the audience and critics. Screenings at the Seattle International Film Festival and London’s Film4 FrightFest followed last summer. In Canada, BLACK was first introduced at the Fantasia International Film Festival (where it won 3rd place of the Public’s Prize in the Best American or European Film category) and at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. It was released theatrically in Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Vancouver, Saskatoon and Ottawa.

The DVD features French dialogue with optional English subtitles in yellow. The French Making-of, a Documentary about MC Jean Gab'1 coming to Montreal, a Capsule about the Canadian Premiere at Fantasia and the Trailer are included as extra features. The packaging includes a booklet with an exclusive Director’s note and a foreword by Tim League, founder of the Alamo Theatres and co-founder of the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. In accordance with the innovative vocation of Evokative, the DVD packaging is an environmentally-friendly and elegant digipack made of 100% recycled materials and wrapped in a 100% biodegradable cellophane.

Posted in DVD Releases