"In southern France, the ancient and controversial tradition of Camargue bullfighting remains to this day. In contrast to more lethal forms of the sport, participants or raseteurs win points by snatching various ribbons attached to the bulls, each of which comes with a cash prize up to thousands of euros. Following a group of athletes of north African descent, Jeremie Battaglia's documentary paints a captivating portrait of multicultural France."
"Battaglia's film elegantly juxtaposes nerve-wrecking sequences of Camargue races with Bakloul and Benhammou's daily lives. After each match, their uniforms of pristine white polo and trousers are stained with dust and blood. One particularly harrowing moment shows Benhammou struck by a bull, resulting in a brutal muscle tear. Even more disturbing is an earlier scene, in which a group of spectators callously complain of boredom when a bull is too docile."
Camargue bullfighting in southern France is a non-lethal tradition in which raseteurs win points by snatching ribbons from bulls, with prizes worth up to thousands of euros. A group of athletes of North African descent perform these dangerous feats while navigating racial hostility from older, largely white spectators. The performers sustain serious injuries, including a brutal muscle tear, and endure spectators' callous expectations for spectacle. Many educated participants still face unstable employment and systemic racism. Integration remains uneven, placing disproportionate assimilation burdens on marginalized individuals who uphold local traditions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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