Sugar Cane Alley

2013 • 101 minutes

About this movie

1930: on a sugar cane plantation in Martinique lives Jose, a bright mischievous 11-year-old and his grandmother, a tough, wise woman determined to save him from the hard life she has known. When Jose wins a scholarship, she is ready to sacrifice everything for his chance at an education and an escape from the fields. The famed Martinique-born director, Euzhan Palcy produced this film which went on to receive the Cesar Award (French Oscar) for Best First Feature Film and more than 17 international prizes, including the Silver Lion and the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. Sugar Cane Alley also launched Euzhan Palcy's international career, making her the first black female director of a Hollywood film.