''Heading South'' (french: Vers le sud) is a 2005 French-Canadian-Belgian drama film directed by

Laurent Cantet Laurent Cantet (; born 11 April 1961) is a French director, cinematographer and screenwriter. His film ''Entre les murs'' (''The Class (2008 film), The Class'') won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. Biography Laurent Cantet was bo ...

and based on three short stories by

Dany Laferrière Dany Laferrière (born Windsor Kléber Laferrière, 13 April 1953) is a Haitian-Canadian novelist and journalist who writes in French. He was elected to seat 2 of the Académie française on 12 December 2013, and inducted in May 2015. Life Bo ...

. It depicts the experiences of three middle-aged

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

women in the late 1970s, travelling to

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

for the purposes of

sexual tourism Sex tourism refers to the practice of traveling to foreign countries, often on a different continent, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships in exchange for money or lifestyle support. This practice predominantly oper ...

with young men. Their adventures (as seen in their eyes) are juxtaposed with class issues and the deteriorating political climate of Haiti at the time of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. The women demonstrate different attitudes to the complex situation.Stephen Holden, �
Laurent Cantet’s ‘Heading South’ Shows the Ache of Blinding Lust in a Sexual Paradise Lost
” Movie Review, ''The New York Times'' (2006‑07‑07).

Plot

Ellen (

Charlotte Rampling Tessa Charlotte Rampling (born 5 February 1946) is an English actress, known for her work in European arthouse films in English, French, and Italian. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, she began her career as a model. She was cast in the role ...

), is a professor of

French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than Fr ...

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial g ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

who has spent six summers at a Haitian

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

where local young men and teenagers providing sexual companionship are easy to find. Among other guests, Brenda ( Karen Young), a stay-at-home wife from

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

, and Sue (

Louise Portal Louise Portal (born May 12, 1950) is a Canadian actress, film director, singer and writer. She won the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film ''The Decline of the American Empire'', and was a nominee for Best Actress for ...

), a warehouse manager from

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, feel lonely and ignored by middle-aged men back at home. They travelled to

to enjoy a holiday of sun, surf, and

sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...

with attractive teenagers to whom they are financially generous; complicating their friendship is the fact that Ellen and Brenda both live for the attention of Legba (Ménothy César). It is only after an episode of violence disrupts their vacation that their eyes are finally opened to the callousness of their

hedonistic Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decre ...

actions, the suffering of the Haitian people and the political climate.

Cast

as Ellen * Karen Young as Brenda *

as Sue * Ménothy César as Legba * Lys Ambroise as Albert * Jackenson Pierre Olmo Diaz as Eddy * Wilfried Paul as Neptune * Michelet Cassis as Charlie * Pierre-Jean Robert as Chico * Jean Delinze Salomon as Jérémy * Kettline Amy as Denise * Daphné Destin as Lossita * Guiteau Nestant as Frank * Michelet Ulysse as Bob

Awards and nominations

*Nominated, Golden Lion, 2005

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

*Won, Marcello Mastrioanni Award, 2005

*Won, CinemAvvenire (Cinema For Peace) Award, 2005

References

External links

* * * 2005 drama films 2005 films 2000s English-language films Films based on short fiction Films directed by Laurent Cantet French drama films Canadian drama films 2000s French-language films Films about prostitution Films set in Haiti Prostitution in Haiti 2005 multilingual films 2000s Canadian films 2000s French films {{2000s-France-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links