Black

Star-crossed lovers from rival street gangs conduct an illicit affair in this pulsating urban romance.

This brutal and gritty take on Romeo and Juliet follows the fate of star-crossed lovers conducting an illicit affair amid the internecine warfare of Brussels’ street gangs. When young Moroccan Marwen meets Mavela in a police station, he’s immediately attracted to her. But upon realising she’s a member of a rival Congolese gang he has doubts about their relationship, which can only be resisted for so long...

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s film pervades with rugged authenticity obtained from years of first-hand research into Brussels’ gang scene. A tough urban drama shot with passion and style, Black also presents a fascinating and timely view of modern Brussels, a city still reeling from recent terrorist incidents that have threatened its multicultural cohesion. It joins La Haine and Girlhood as an arresting depiction of Europe’s gang culture, but the modern love story at its heart is truly touching.