UNDER THE STARS OF PARIS / Sous les étoiles de Paris

France, 2020, 86 minutes, Colour.

Catherine Frot, Mahamadou Yaffa.

Directed by Claus Drexel.

A brief French film which is very touching. It focuses on life in Paris, especially for the poor and homeless. But it also focuses on refugee issues, detention, deporting.

The photography of Paris is visit, the river, the bridges, the streets, the life of the poor. There is some travel sequences, airport scenes.

The initial focus of attention is on Christine, an older homeless woman, played by veteran Catherine Frost. The early scenes show her life, age, clothes, walking the streets, collecting food, not interacting with people, her hideout for accommodation. Then the film introduces a young boy, played by Mahamadou Yaffa, who has since it appeared in some television series. He is from Africa, does not speak English, has lost his mother, has a document identifying her information that she is to be deported.

The boy follows Christine, she helping him, but wanting to be rid of him, his continual following her. The film shows the growing bond, Christine’s motherly tendencies, the boys need for some kind of physical support, food, emotional support, and the search for his mother. The scenes of the two bonding are quite moving.

The film shows the plight of refugees in France, deportation, the effect on people, on families, a challenge to refugee and deportation policy.

1. Brief film, human impact?
2. The title, the Paris settings, the river, bridges, the neighbourhoods, the streets, poverty, centres for the poor and hungry, the detention centre, the airport? The musical score?
3. The portrait of Christine, her age, physical condition, poverty, the way she walked, her clothes, communication, her hideout, the food, the magazine, the worker and his interactions? Relating to people, alone?
4. The portrait of Suli, Eritrea, his age, background, unable to speak in French, his mother, the document, detention, separated from his mother? Alone, lost, hungry? The encounter with Christine, helping, is seeing her as a mother, purging him off, his continuing to follow, the gradual bonding between them, travelling together, the information about the detention centre, the visit, getting more information, the airport, the further travels, in the airport, hiding, intervention Patrick, his sympathy, hiding them? The seeming frustration, the final glimpse, Patrick helping, the mother, reconciled with her son?
5. The effect on Christine, some meaning in her life joy, surrogate mother? The experience of the boy, his devotion to Christine, we Sulli and the future memories?