No Fear, No Die
For Ushari Ahmed Mahmoud
In sharp contrast to the lush, exquisitely composed Chocolat, Denis' second film uses its rough edge handheld camera to explore the claustrophobic and fraught world of two black immigrant friends raising fighting cocks in a gritty Parisian suburb. A precursor to Beau Travail's study of uneasy male camaraderie No Fear, No Die carefully observes the subtly shifting dynamic between the two men-- wonderfully played by Denis’ favorite actors, Alex Descas and Isaach de Bankolé-- and the rituals and cruelties that define their world.
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For Ushari Ahmed Mahmoud (Pour Ushari Ahmed Mahmoud)
Directed by Claire Denis.
France, 1991, 35mm, black & white, 4 min.
Print source: French Ministry
Denis’ contribution to a film dedicated to political prisoners is a haunting “music video” juxtaposing a melancholy Alain Souchon song about the loneliness and powerlessness of the immigrant with footage of two African men walking the streets of Belleville in Paris.