Disco Boy. 2023. France/Italy/Belgium/Poland,. Directed by Giacomo Abbruzzese. North American Premiere. In French, English Nigerian, Polish, Russian and lgbo; English subtitles. 92 min.
Franz Rogowski (Transit) adds another psychologically complex character to his growing filmography as a Belarusian emigrant making his way through Poland with a friend in the hope of settling in France. After arriving in Paris undocumented, he ends up being placed for training in the French Foreign Legion. During service, his fate becomes intertwined with that of a Nigerian villager (Morr N’Diaye) mounting an insurgency against the French oil companies that have made life difficult for him and his family in their home on the petroleum-rich Niger Delta. Through this scenario, debut-feature director Giacomo Abbruzzese investigates contemporary globalist Europe—the intertwined consequences of capitalism, militarism, and immigration—while also creating an interior portrait of the emotional fallout from violence and guilt. Abbruzzese’s ambitious film is a jarring, visually rich tale of exploitation and the possibility of transcendence. 2023 Winner Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to cinematographer Hélène Louvart.