The Kid from Chaaba (1997) User Reviews

Good cultural drama

[MarioB · 8/10 · 18 November 1999]

In 1965 in France, in a city slump, a poor Algerian father wants his son to be the best in school, although the boy is not very gifted. This is a pretty realistic movie about poverty and cultural minorities in France, or in any industrial country. Sometimes it's hard (the father spanks everybody, it's very dirty, old women doing prostitution, etc.) but it's a very well written. Algerians or Arabs actors seems amateurs, but they all doin' very well.

neorealist view of shantytown in 1960's France

[camel-9 · 20 December 1999]

Living in a slum of huts made with corrugated metal and salvaged bricks, mortar, and wood panels, a group of algerian family immigrants in mid-sixties France are shown as through the eyes of a young boy growing up. The story is based on the experiences of a now well-established writer and journalist. The adult men have constructions jobs, and the adult women spend most of the time in the camp preparing food, doing laundry, cleaning up. The kids do what kids like to do, and often get in trouble. The story is presented in a straight forward manner, chronologically, and without much creativity. The style is somewhat like Neo-realism. For a different style, somewhat more creative and profound in content as well about a group of people living in a shantytown, see "I Brutti, Sporchi, e Cattivi" of Ettore Scola.

Decent enough, but there are better in this realm

[chase-jaycox · 30 April 2006]

Decent movie, but as said above, very linear. Tends to follow pretty much exactly the storyline of the book, except for mentioning a few later events earlier on for the sake of setting things up.

The above poster did a great job of outlining this film. Young boy lives in shantytown. He is born in France to Algerian parents and seeks to improve his lot in life through school. His father constantly insists that "Il faut tout savoir 'a l'e'cole" (You must know everything for school.) Somewhat touching portrait of what is really a fairly sad life. The protagonist of course goes on to become "ministre délégué à la Promotion de l'égalité des chances." (Minister charged with the promotion of the equality of opportunity)

For a better film on people living in deplorable conditions in slums, check out "Rue Cases Negres"