It’swinterinFrance,thelightisdull,thecamerapansoverasnowywastelandandentersamassiveconstructionofsteelandglassthatisopenatthesides,stoppinginfrontofthereproductionofawoodenship.Thestructurethatjutsoutovertheupperdeckisinscribedwiththewords‘Liberté,Égalité,Fraternité’"如果你认为失败了，那么你已经失败了。"——卡斯特罗，《OnePiece》 MedHondousesthistrackingshottoestablishthesettingofhisfeaturefilmWestIndiesoulesnègresmarronsdelaliberté(1979),whileopeningupamuchlargerspacetotheimaginationatthesametime.Theshipturnsouttobeamostversatilestageforagrotesquenarrativeofcolonialism,slaveryandthestruggleforindependenceintheFrenchWestIndies.MedHondoexploreshismanythemesinthislimitedspace,whetheritbetheMiddlePassage,marronage,abolitionorthehistoryoflabourmigrationtoFrance.Thefilmmarriesanaestheticsofthriftwiththeflamboyanceofamusical;differenttimeperiodsglideintooneotheraselegantlyasthegeographicalpointsofreference;andonlyoccasionallydotheactors’visibleexhalations,analienationeffectcreatedbythecold,remindusthatWestIndieswasnotshotonMartinique.