The film is both observational and metaphorical, the observational bits are dull, and the metaphorical bits are obvious. It is meant as some sort of tapestry stitched out of random unconnected stories of people living in the Paris suburbs, and the disconnect is part of the point. But none of these scenes, nor the home video fragments that reflect Diop's upbringing in these same suburbs, makes much of an impression. I don't know why the rich folks at the beginning and at the very end of the film, in which they engage in a foxhunt, allowed Diop to film them as part of her metaphorical statement. If a white filmmaker used a black subculture to make a negative comparison, they would have been accused of perpetuating a colonial gaze and hounded out of filmmaking by the moral watchdogs of the documentary industry. I think filmmakers of any color, gender, or culture should be able to use their talents to tell stories about any and all people, as long as they show empathy and respect and skill.
