PIGALLE

France, 1994, 93 minutes, Colour.
Vera Briole, Frances Renaud, Raymond Gil, Blanca Li.
Directed by Kareem Dridi.

Pigalle is a short film about the district in the city of Paris, the district of the Moulin Rouge and better known for being a rather seedy section of Paris. This film highlights this. Rather dark, literally, in its presentation, it shows a world of clubs, brothels, prostitutes, transvestites, drug dealers. It is very grim indeed.

The film focuses on four characters who interaction with each other but are also victims of pimps and drug dealers. When two of them are murdered, one of the transvestites is to be set up to become a hit-man to avenge them on behalf of the drug lords.

Vivid in its detail, a picture of an ugly and amoral and immoral world.

1.A portrait of Pigalle, the experience of Pigalle, the perspective of the film?

2.The location photography, the streets, the clubs, night scenes? The musical score?

3.The title and expectations, life in Pigalle, the range of people there, involved in vice industries, struggles for survival?

4.The pessimism of the film, people trapped in this world, prostitution and drugs? Any way out?

5.The focus on Fifi, the boy and their friendship, the robberies? His attraction to Vera? To Divine? To Pacho and Malfait? To Polo? Sexual behaviour, prostitution, drugs? Relationships? The power exercised over him, the incitation to violence, to be persuaded to be a hit-man?

6.The shop, Fernande, his relationship with Fifi and Vera? Customs? Elegant Roger and the guns? The clients? Sexuality?

7.Vera, her life, the pimp in charge of her, Gypsy Jesus? As a performer, avoiding being a prostitute? Divine’s death? The rape, her being persuaded to work on Fifi to become a hit-man? Revenge?

8.Fifi and grief, the rape, Fernande? The shooting? Prison?

9.The drug lords, the customers, the moving of drugs, exercises of power?

10.The world of sexuality, heterosexuality, homosexuality, points in between? Transsexuals, transvestites? Part of the underbelly of Paris?

11.The tourists and the clients, their curiosity, exploitation?

12.The moral perspective of the film – a portrait, withdrawing judgment on innocent victims, judgment on exploiters?