Myth of a Colorblind France. La France rêvée des noirs américains. Documentary by Alan Govenar

Fondation Giacometti -  Myth of a Colorblind France. La France rêvée des noirs américains. Documentary by Alan Govenar

Preview in France

For more than a century, African American artists, authors, musicians, and others have traveled to Paris to liberate themselves from the racism of the United States. What made these African Americans choose France? Why were the French fascinated by African Americans? And to what extent was and is France truly colorblind?
Alan Govenar’s new film investigates these questions and examines the ways that racism has plagued not only African Americans fleeing the United States, but Africans and people of color in France today.

The film explores the lives and careers of renowned African Americans who emigrated to Paris, including Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Beauford Delaney, Augusta Savage, Barbara Chase-Riboud, and Lois Mailou Jones, and includes rare home movie footage of Henry Ossawa Tanner in Paris.

A longer version (90') will be available for free on our website from 10.12.2021 to 9.01.2022.

Find out more

To search for a work, consult the Alberto Giacometti Database