Sugar Cane Alley (Rue Cases Negres) (1984)

The teenage life and adventures of young José who lives in a shanty-town on Martinique in the mid-'30s comprises the body of this well-wrought film on how to enjoy what you have. José lives with his grandmother and is well aware of the French colonial presence but they are far away from his world. He gets into mischief, learns valuable lessons on living from an old former slave, drinks too much one time, and even sets fire to one of the run-down shanties. Regardless of his pranks, José never lets up on his studies and in the end, his diligence pays off. Darling Legitmus won the "Best Actress" award at the 1983 Venice Film Festival for her role as the grandmother in this film, and Rue Case Negres won the 1983 Cesar for "Best First Film" for director Euzhan Palcy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi