Black (2015 Belgian film)


Black is a 2015 Belgian crime film directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, based on the books Black and Back by. The film is centered around two young gangsters who seek love, but are impeded by the rivalry between their gang allegiances.
The plot line is influenced by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Arthur Laurent's West Side Story but relocates the story to street gangs in modern day Brussels, Belgium. It premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was screened in the Discovery section.

Plot

Mavela falls in love with Marwan, member of a rival gang. However, her affair with the Moroccan is an intolerable act in the eyes of both gangs, prompting the relationship to stay secret or else be plunged into a brutal war between their rival gangs.

Cast

Streetcasting

To amplify the harshness and roughness, they chose to work with unknown actors and actresses. Hence the term streetcasting, most of them were picked right off the streets. In cooperation with the casting agency Hakuna Casting, Nabil Mallat and Chafic Amraoui visited Brussels' migrant neighborhoods looking for new talent. Caroline Bastin coached the newfound actors during the auditions. Because of the unique background of the cast, these talents were able to give the film's narrative a special touch.