Documentary about the black slave Marie-Josèphe Angélique.

BLACK HANDS, TRIAL OF THE ARSONIST SLAVE is about Marie-Josèphe Angélique, a Black slave accused of burning Montreal in 1734. After an epic trial, this untamable slave is tortured and sentenced to death. But was she really guilty or was she the victim of a bigger conspiracy? Why this voluntary amnesia about this

In 1734, Marie-Josèphe Angélique, a black slave in New France, was accused of setting a fire that caused the destruction of a large part of the young city of Montreal. After an epic, highly irregular trial, the courageous young woman was found guilty, tortured and hanged. Was she really guilty or simply the scapegoat for an accidential fire? Historians and researchers consider the evidence along with the utter silence about the existence of black slaves in New France. In the streets of Old Montreal, a guide walks us through the key landmarks of Angélique's history, which is parallelly played out by actors in an historical reconstruction.

Canada / 2010, Docufiction / Colour / 52 min

Dir.: Tetchena Bellange

Cast : Tetchena Bellange, Franck Sylvestre, Sonia Gadbois, Daniel Desputeau, Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne, Paul Fehmiu-Brown

Scénario/Script : Blanca Bellange, Tetchena Bellange ;
Images/Pictures : Bruno Philip, Philippe Lavalette ;
Son/Sound : Daniel Masse ;
Montage/Editing : Babalou Hamelin ;
Musique/Music: Dmitri Marine ;
Durée/Length: 52 mn

"Formidably effective..."
André Duchesne - La Presse

"Docufiction mixing minimalist re-enactments and testimonies of historians (...) reminding us that slavery had flourished here. Fascinating."
François Lévesque - Le Devoir


A Slave, A Play, A Film
Having its world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival in the summer of 2010, the film is inspired by a play that was first presented in 2009, during the 275th anniversary of the Black slave Marie-Josèphe Angélique's execution. Tetchena Bellange, who portrayed Angelique in a play that she co-produced, was so touched by the story of this Black woman, she decided to explore the story further. Learning more about the history of Blacks in New France and about the woman who refused her slave status, the director and her co-producer Bianca Bellange, researched this hidden story and spoke to various Canadian historians: Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne, Paul Fehmiu Brown, and David Bureau. Apart from these great experts, the documentary also includes fictional scenes, high in emotion, interpreted by seven actors.

Winner of the Dikola Award for Best Documentary at the 2011 International PanAfrican Film Festival in Cannes.

Film selected at:
World Film Festival of Montreal
Festival du cinéma international en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
African Diaspora Film Festival (New York, Chicago)
Week of Quebec Cinema in Burkina Faso
Victoria Film Festival
Fespaco, Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou
Panafrican International Film Festival in Cannes
ReelWorld Film Festival (Toronto)
Women's International Film & Arts Festival (Miami)
Festival International de Cinéma Vues d'Afrique (Montreal)
Festival Régional et International du Cinéma de Guadeloupe
Festival Afro Caraïbe Films (Paris)
Un Film Per La Pace (Italy)

Contact :
Tél. : +1 (514) 271 6980 - (514) 271 5506 ;
Email : info@givideo.org

Bel Ange Moon Productions
info@mainsnoires.com

Presse
Claire Strunck | Tél. : 514 632-2472 | claire@comclaire.com

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