''Le Conte du ventre plein'' (international English title: ''Bellyful'' or ''A Belly Full'') is a 2000 film written and directed by

Melvin Van Peebles Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the early 2020s. His feature film debut, ''The Story of a Three-Day Pa ...

Plot

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

couple masquerade as

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

do-gooders in late 60's

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. With orders piling up at their bistro, The Full Belly, Loretta and Henri, self-described "pillars of the community," hire Diamantine as a waitress in order to give a poor black orphan a chance at a better life. At home, they tell their trusting, new live-in employee that she's "one of the family," yet in town they encourage widespread disapproval of her. When they convince her to carry an extended joke to full term - pretending she's

pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestation, gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception (biology), Conception usually occurs ...

- Diamantine, and a slightly shady friend of the couple, Jan, become entangled in an elaborate charade.

Cast

Andréa Ferréol Andréa Ferréol (born Andrée Louise Ferréol; 6 January 1947) is a French actress and officer of the Ordre national du Mérite (2009). Her debut was in the 1973 film '' La Grande bouffe'', which made a big scandal at the Cannes Film Festival. ...

as Loretta *

Jacques Boudet Jacques Boudet (15 April 1935 – 15 July 2024) was a French stage and screen actor. He had great success in the 1980s with his appearance in ''Exercises in Style'', and is featured in the film '' The Names of Love'' (2010). Career In cinema, ...

as Henri * Meiji U Tum'si as Diamantine *

Claude Perron Claude Perron (born 23 January 1966) is a French actress. Career Perron appeared in the role of Eva (Nino's colleague) in the 2001 film ''Amélie'', and Marion in the 1996 film ''Bernie (1996 film), Bernie''. She also plays in the French TV se ...

as Blanchette *

Herman van Veen Hermannus Jantinus van Veen (born 14 March 1945) is a Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter and musician. He worked with accompanists Laurens van Rooyen and Erik van der Wurff, both of whom were pianists and composers. In ...

as Jan

References

External links

* 2000 films 2000s screwball comedy films American satirical films American screwball comedy films Camcorder films 2000s English-language films 2000s French-language films Films directed by Melvin Van Peebles American independent films French independent films 2000 independent films 2000s American films 2000s French films English-language independent films {{2000s-US-film-stub