BLACK BEACH

Spain, 2020, 110 minutes, Colour.

Raul Arevalo, Paulina Garcia, Candida Peña, Claude Musungayi, Babou Cham, Lidia Nene, Aida Wellgaye, Jimmy Castro, Fenda Drame.

Directed by Esteban Crespo.

Black Beach is a drama, thriller, for audiences who are interested in international politics, financial intrigues, oil companies, African military dictatorships…

This is a Spanish film with dialogue in Spanish, English, African language. It opens in Brussels with echoes of the United Nations as well as the European Union. It emerges that the central character, Carlos, has spent some time in Africa, those many of the people there, ordinary as well as highly-placed, and has skills as a negotiator. He is employed by members of an international oil company to negotiate in Africa, a fictitious country with filming in Ghana, where an American engineer has been abducted by rebel forces.

On the one hand, Carlos makes the contacts, tries to get government help but is thwarted by the military, finds people that he knew in the past and enlists their help, especially in search of the head of the rebels who was a close friend as was his wife.

There is further intrigue leading to quite some violence, some ruthless military massacres, the confrontation with the rebels and on the spot executions.

Carlos, in danger, is helped by his friends from the past, is able to recover the documents that the engineer had taken with him which could compromise the government and international connections, able to make his escape back to Brussels but concealing the documents, relying on his mother, an official with the United Nations, to collect the documents, make them public and do the right thing.

There is a twist at the end as to what happens with the documents – and a further twist, Carlos using a tape and wires, to get a unaware confession as to what had happened. He preserves his integrity.

1. Contemporary drama, United Nations, African countries, dictators and democracy, oil companies, contracts and plans, secrets?
2. The initial settings in Brussels, homes, parks and jogging, business meetings? Home life? The transition to Africa, the location photography, the homes of the wealthy, palaces, socials and celebrations, the contrast with poverty, squalor, the wars and the industry, the oil company, the ocean, the water, the exiles? And the military attacks, helicopter fire? The musical score?
3. The introduction to Carlos, beginning the day, his love for his wife, pregnant, expecting a daughter? Jogging? The contacts, the oil company, the United Nations, the government, the need for negotiation? His past experience in Africa, his knowledge and contacts? The discussions with Graham? The flight to Africa?
4. The fictitious African country, resemblances to actual countries? The government contacts, the president, his brother, wealth, smooth-talking, the general and his presence, the security guards, the officials of the oil company? Carlos and his shrewdness, knowledge, trying to get permissions to travel?
5. The official party, the guests, nightclub style, Carlos being supplied with girls, his interrogation of the girl from the past, information?
6. Ale, friendship from the past, her relationship with Lucia, meeting Carlos, driving him around, papers and getting into difficult areas? Her continued support? Yet Ale upset with Carlos? Memories of the past, the revelation about Ada, his son, the friendship with Callisto, the photos of the wedding? Carlos and his visit to Madame Claudina? Her information, unwilling to help?
7. His visits, the interviews, surveillance by the police? Ale and her help, with Lucia, the boat, their waiting, his not returning, Ale and her anger?
8. Finding Callisto, his suspicions, Carlos and talking, the documents, the reality of the abducted engineer, American, his being killed? The compromising nature of the documents, signatures by the President and the Secretary of State, US?
9. The attack by the police, shooting Callisto? The helicopter? Taking Carlos?
10. Ale, her complaint to Carlos about waiting, the dangers, his going to Madame Claudina’s, the massacre, the dead lying, the contact with Eva, the information about the documents, retrieving them?
11. The military attack, Carlos and his being chased throughout the town, the extended chase, the escape with Ale in the car? Unable to get through, captured?
12. The phone calls, Carlos and his contact with his mother, the early scene introducing the mother, United Nations work, eager about her granddaughter? Carlos and his phone calls to her, engaging her help with the documents? Graham and his arrival? Carlos and his scheme to get the documents out of the country? Graham getting him out of the country – and his going to the school, seeing the nuns teaching, the information of the boy’s whereabouts, finding him, taking him on the plane?
13. Carlos and the return to Brussels, his wife’s shock, then accepting the boy, the scene of him playing in the bath?
14. Carlos under surveillance, even while jogging? Talking to his mother, the rendezvous at the airport, her picking up the documents?
15. Watching the television, the situation, the president resigning, but the all company going ahead with its plans? Carlos and his dismay?
16. The birth of the baby, Carlos taking it to see his mother, named after her? The conversation about the situation, his mother’s justification what she had done, explanation of what she had done? The twist, Carlos being wired, the United Nations getting the confession?
17. Carlos returning home, with his wife, daughter, not called after his mother, with the boy, and his integrity?