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RUNTIME
Did you know
90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Blanc d'ébène
1991 1h 30m FR
🙌
8.0
BANGER
★8.0TMDB · 1
Drama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
The year is 1943 and the place is Balandou, a small village in Guinea. The plot revolves around Adjutant Mariani, some kind of a misfit. Despised by his superiors, hated by his wife Marie-France, he represents colonial France while dreaming of Africa and its mysteries. When pro-independence Lanseye Kante, the new manager of the school, arrives in the village, turmoil arises.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Cast
Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu
L'adjudant-recruteur Mariani
Maka Kotto
Lanseye Kante
Marianne Basler
Marie-France Mariani
Mariam Kaba
Saly
Sam Amidou
Diamanati
Mahmoud Zemmouri
Rachid, le commerçant
Eric Averlant
Salim
Paul Le Person
Le commandant Dubois
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Cheik Doukouré
- Writers
- Cheik Doukouré
- Languages
- French
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Cheik Doukouré directs. Patrick Blossier behind the camera. Marc Beacco scores. Luc Barnier cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Dialogue in French.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
- 235 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 3Directed by Cheik Doukouré, shot by Patrick Blossier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 4Original score by Marc Beacco. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 5Editor Luc Barnier shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu and Maka Kotto and Marianne Basler carry the top of the cast.
- 7IMDB entry: tt0101470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 8Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Patrick Blossier
- Original score
- Marc Beacco
- Editing
- Luc Barnier
- Production design
- Yan Arlaud
- Costume design
- Jeanne Delavison
- Makeup / hair
- Odile Fourquin
- Runtime
- 90 min · 1h 30m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- FR
Also by
Cheik Doukouré
Key crew
- EditorLuc Barnier
- Production DesignYan Arlaud
- ProducerFrédéric Brillion
- Costume DesignJeanne Delavison
- ProducerGilles Legrand
- Costume DesignKaren Barel
- Costume DesignFabienne Katany
- Makeup ArtistOdile Fourquin
- HairstylistFouzia Harleman
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1991-01-02
