The French film “After the Fire” suffers from tired old plot syndrome perhaps more common in the news of the day or in documentaries than in a feature film. Minority member brutalized and killed by the police. It happens ubiquitously in almost all countries. In this film Karim El Yadari of Strasbourg dies after a “police interaction”. The official police report is the cause of death is an epileptic fit due to his drug use. One problem is that the official autopsy report does not jive with the police side of the story and a key witness, Karim’s girlfriend, points to police brutality as does trauma inflicted on the body. Karim was not carrying weapons or drugs. The autopsy report listed a crushed thorax as the cause of death a la George Floyd. The Strasbourg public prosecutor more of an ally to the police than to justice is pulled from the investigation and an independent examining magistrate is appointed who advises the Yadari family it will be some time before she can be in position to make a ruling due to the French bureaucratic legal system. She points out manslaughter charges are likely to be laid against the police officers in the “police interaction”.
Karim’s sister Malika (Camélia Jordana) embarks on a quest for justice for Karim at times losing a sense of rationality and proportionality. Admirable Malika faces terrible odds a North African may have in France for justice but wanting to sell the business she runs with her husband to raise funds to fight the legal fight makes no sense as without the income from the business how will they survive!
While the plot initially focuses on the generalities of French police brutality against Africans its delving into the use of the media by both the police and its victims freshens up the plot as does the familial turmoil within the Yadari family.
The family has been advised by a community activist get the media involved as “when the fire goes out” the media will have little interest. The fire may certainly “go out” in the public eye but for the Yadari family the fire will smolder for a very long time.
The film introduces a wealth of new talent. Jordana effortlessly carries some heavy weight. The cast is flawless and I expect to see more of them in French cinema. Unfortunately at times the film reminds me of an American television show and it is the acting that rescues it from repetitious boredom.
Watch the trailer here https://vimeo.com/880600402
Limited theatrical release in Canada starting 2February2024.
RKS 2024 Film Rating 76/100.
Directed by Mehdi Fikiri.
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