Black Venus () is a 2010 French drama film directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. It is based on the life of Sarah Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman who in the early 19th century was exhibited in Europe under the name "Hottentot Venus". The film was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Equal Opportunity Award. Plot Paris 1815, the Royal Academy of Medicine. "I have never seen a human head so similar to that of an ape". Standing by a moulded cast of Saartjie Baartman's body, anatomist Georges Cuvier's verdict is categorical. Seven years earlier, Saartjie left her native South Africa with her master, Caezar, to expose her caged body to the audiences of London's freak shows. Free and enslaved all at the same time, the "Hottentot Venus" became an icon in the slums, destined to be sacrificed in the pursuit of a shimmering vision of prosperity. Cast Yahima Torres as Sarah Baartman Andre Jacobs as Caezar Olivier Gourmet as Réaux, le forain Elina Löwensohn as Jeanne François Marthouret as Georges Cuvier Jean-Christophe Bouvet as Mercailler Jonathan Pienaar as Alexander Dunlop Reception Black Venus holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on five reviews. References External links Belgian drama films 2010 films 2010 drama films French drama films 2010s French-language films Films directed by Abdel Kechiche Films set in the 1810s Films set in London Films set in Paris Drama films based on actual events French-language Belgian films 2010s French films