West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (1979)
West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (1979), directed by Med Hondo, starring Robert Liensol and Roland Bertin.
score
Synopsis
Aboard a giant slave ship in an abandoned Citroën factory, the history of the West Indies is traced through several centuries of French oppression. The ship becomes a stage for the people to tell stories via song and dance—from their enslavement to their displacement in Metropolitan France.
- François CatonnéCinematography
- Med HondoDirector, Producer, Writer
- Youcef TobniEditing
- Frank ValmontOriginal music
About the film
West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (French: West Indies ou les Nègres marrons de la liberté) is a 1979 French-language musical drama film directed by Med Hondo. The plot of the film was adapted from a play titled Les négriers (The Slavers), written by Daniel Boukman. The film is highly regarded as a landmark film in the history of African cinema as it was made with a lavish budget of US$1.35 million, making it one of the biggest budgeted African films ever to be made. Against the backdrop of the colonial West Indies, which was under French imperialism, the drama was set on a slave ship. The film had its theatrical release in 1979.
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West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (French: West Indies ou les Nègres marrons de la liberté) is a 1979 French-language musical drama film directed by Med Hondo. The plot of the film was adapted from a play titled Les négriers (The Slavers), written by Daniel Boukman. The film is highly regarded as a landmark film in the history of African cinema as it was made with a lavish budget of US$1.35 million, making it one of the biggest budgeted African films ever to be made. Against the backdrop of the colonial West Indies, which was under French imperialism, the drama was set on a slave ship. The film had its theatrical release in 1979.
Cast
Robert Liensol as The Parliamentarian
Roland Bertin as Death
Hélène Vincent as The Social Worker
Philippe Clévenot as The Abbot
Cyril Aventurin as The Father
Fernand Berset as The Hotel Manager
Gérard Bloncourt as Monsieur De la Pierre
Toto Bissainthe as Sister Marie Joseph de Cluny
References
External links
West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty at IMDb
Text from West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indies:_The_Fugitive_Slaves_of_Liberty
Trivia
- The production budget was US$ 1.4 million.
- It premiered on January 2, 1979, a Tuesday.
- It runs 1h56 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "West Indies ou les Nègres marrons de la liberté".
- This film's quiz has 12 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosLes Films Soleil O, Office National de Cinema Mauritanian, R.T.A., Societe Interafricaine de Production Cinemagraphique, Yanek Films
- CountriesAlgeria, France, Mauritania
- LanguagesFrench
- BudgetUS$ 1,350,000
- StatusReleased
Photos
Cast
-
Robert Liensol
Le parlementaire -
Roland Bertin
La 'Mort' -
Philippe Clévenot
L'abbé -
Hélène Vincent
L'assistante sociale -
Théo Légitimus
Monnerbourg - Georges Hilarion Monsieur Belleville
- Elliot Roy L'homme
- Cyril Aventurin Le père de famille
-
Fernand Berset
L'hôtelier - Gérard Bloncourt Monsieur De la Pierre
-
Toto Bissainthe
Soeur Marie Joseph de Cluny -
Monique Couturier
La Dame de souten -
Jean-Paul Denizon
Le representant des patrons - Gabriel Glissant Le premier acrobate
- Elsie Haas L'infirmière
- Blanche Lolia Mireille
-
Jenny Alpha
- Ti-Emile
- Maîthé Mansoura Mademoiselle Flocon
- Josy Mass La mère de famille
Quiz about this movie
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Tags
Crew
- François Catonné Cinematography
- Med Hondo Director
- Youcef Tobni Editing
- Med Hondo Producer
- Frank Valmont Original music
- Georges Rabol Original music
- Daniel Boukman Writer
- Med Hondo Writer
Questions about this film
What is West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty about?
West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty: Aboard a giant slave ship in an abandoned Citroën factory, the history of the West Indies is traced through several centuries of French oppression. The ship becomes a stage for the people to tell stories via song and dance—from their enslavement to their displacement in Metropolitan France.
Who directed West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty?
West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty was directed by Med Hondo in 1979.
Who stars in West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty?
The cast of West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty includes Robert Liensol, Roland Bertin, Philippe Clévenot, Hélène Vincent and Théo Légitimus.
How long is West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty?
West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty runs for 116 minutes, or 1h56.
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Page updated on 09/19/2026.
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