As a man of Afro-Caribbean descent, born and raised in France, Christophe Boussamba has
grown up in a country that doesn't always accept him for who he is. Throughout his life, he has
asked himself many questions as a man, as a Black person: Why did an (white) ex-girlfriend only
go out with Black men? Why was he almost systematically stopped at the entrance to stores?
Why did his father need to assert his authority over him? Why was it so difficult to allow himself
to cry?
He then sought to understand to what extent his experience was shared by others, and in what
form. He therefore invited Black men to freely share their experiences as Black men in a society
with colonial roots. To talk about the impact of the presence (or absence) of their parents — and
more specifically, their father — in their upbringing. To talk about their relationships with men
and women in a racist world. To recount their emotions and vulnerability.
Black Masculinities is an ongoing documentary series that explores the specific experiences of
Black men in France. Highlighting both the effects of patriarchy and the very present vestiges of
colonization on Afro-Caribbean natives and people of African descent, Christophe Boussamba
challenges preconceived notions about this population and offers a much more complex reality
through a variety of experiences.
Category Award : People and Communities.