Essay Questions

What is the compelling reason that pushed Abdellatif Kechiche to write the film, Black Venus?

Besides being a writer, Abdellatif Kechiche is a film director. Abdellatif Kechiche was born in Tunisia and he is interested in history to study how the white people in the early centuries treated the black people. In the Black Venus film, Abdellatif Kechiche puts more emphasis on Saartjie, the South African woman who lived in Europe in the 18th century. Saartjie hails from South African clan called Khoi. The white people during this time calls the Khoi people as bushmen. During her stay in Europe in the 18th century, Saartjie is dehumanized and treated as an animal in all aspects. The film depicts the true nature of how white people treat Africans in the early centuries. African are treated as lesser beings. Therefore, the compelling reason why Abdellatif Kechiche decided to direct the film Black Venus is to show the world how the black people are inhumanly treated by the white people in the 18th and 19th centuries.

How does the theme of humiliation and anguish become apparent in the Black Venus by Abdellatif Kechiche?

Saartjie is the main character in the Black Venus and she is subjected to humiliation and anguish while staying in Europe. Saartjie performs as wild animalistic savage in the streets of Europe. She makes a living out of her performances but she is disappointed at how the white people treat her. After performing, she is abused, slapped, and pinched on her buttocks. Saartjie feels ashamed at the way she is treated. As a result, she is dejected and results in intoxication. The tough situations in her life drive her into engaging in sexual activities to make money.

What is satirical about the so-called civilized European Society in the 18th and 19th centuries as depicted by Abdellatif Kechiche?

The white people are treating Saartjie as savage and animal while their actions prove that they are more animalistic and savage than Saartjie. Scientists such as Georges compare Saartjie to the apes while the white audiences view her as an inferior being. When Saartjie is taken for performances, the white people touch her private parts and try to slap her. Similarly, some of the white people at her performances pinch her back. It is more shameful when the white men command Saartjie to remove her clothes so that they can see what her private parts look like. The reader finds these white people’s acts ironic because they are worse than what uncivilized people do. Consequently, these white people are acting worse than animals, and yet they are calling themselves civilized people.