Le Bal du Château Rouge

Gaby and Maximiliano, two Uruguayans living in Paris, engage in conversations on racism, immigration, and identity. They interact with eight individuals working in Château Rouge - Goutte d’Or : a sapeuse and a safou (African pear) street vendor from DR Congo, a Franco-Tunisian wax-cloth boutique owner, and an African-born book editor, among others. Footage released in 2023 from two French official channels contextualizes their perspectives.

Through a rhizomatic perspective and collage-like aesthetics, the film is a counterpoint to the dominant and often pessimistic narratives associated with Château Rouge - Goutte d'Or. Known as one of the largest African markets in Europe, the small and densely populated neighborhood is, in fact, a rich melting pot where this collection of personal stories intertwines and shapes a sense of community and belonging.

As an 18th arrondissement neighbor for over 20 years, Gaby echoes the sentiment of alterity and foreignness expressed by the individuals in the film through a reflective voiceover. Navigating diverse languages, cultural capital, temporalities, and countries, all the individuals featured in the film reflect on the complexity of France’s post-colonial society, and on how transculturality embodies the essence of the neighborhood.