Frantz Fanon. Black skin white mask - ACE311.2

FRANTZ FANON chalked on shooting slate. Tx. Silhouette of man in chains. Frantz Fanon’s words – "I do not come with timeless truths… I think it would be good if certain things were said…" – as VO over montage of reconstructed footage of man in hospital, man in chains, family. VO continues (describing early life) over footage of Martinique, Fanon as doctor in psychiatric hospital. Actuality footage of tanks in street, De Gaulle in triumphant procession in Algiers, some undercut reconstructed footage of Algerians in fear, banana workers. "The struggle between the master and the slave is a struggle for power." Stuart Hall, writer and cultural critic, on Fanon’s perception of the struggle between coloniser and colonised, the interdependence of master and slave. VO over photograph of agricultural workers: racism prevents recognition of humanity. Reconstructed scenes of the young Fanon listening to music on the radio, intercut with footage of social dancing; mother turns off radio. Françoise Vergès, writer, relating story of Fanon’s mother telling him not to be "like a nigger" in preferring a Creole song to a French song. Photograph of mother. Olivier Fanon (Fanon’s son) talking about his grandmother; he says Fanon had difficulty believing he was his son as he was very light skinned when he was young. Family photographs. Newsreel of commemoration (April 1948) of life of Victor Schoelcher, abolitionist. Beginning of item on Martinique with map showing its location. Footage of Martinique. Vergès’s VO describes the history of the "old colony" which became a French possession before the Revolution. Headless statue of Empress Josephine. Raphaël Confiant, novelist, explains that it was decapitated by Nationalists. More footage on commemorations of abolition of slavery. Vergès’s VO says this did not bring about equality. Young Fanon and the radio. Adult Fanon listening to broadcast about Black Americans fighting for their civil rights. Kléber Gamess, Fanon’s childhood friend, talking about how many young people left Martinique during the Second World War because it was under Vichy government. Joby Fanon, Frantz Fanon’s brother, describes how Fanon left Martinique aged 18, to join the Free French Forces in Dominica. Footage of black soldiers. Mme Felix Fanon, Fanon’s sister-in-law, singing a lullaby; her VO abolition commemoration footage saying that they had their suspicions that Fanon would leave. France-Lyne Fanon, Fanon’s niece, adds that it was dangerous for those who left; they didn’t all reach their destinations. Footage of black soldiers. Reconstruction of Fanon in uniform. Joby Fanon reads from a letter in which Fanon says his decision to fight for France was a mistake as the French peasants didn’t care to fight for themselves.