Don't Make Trouble!

This anthology feature is comprised of 12 short stories, written by students between the ages of 16 and 26, which were filmed for broadcast on French television by a team of well-known directors. Each of the stories takes a different look at the problems of racism in contemporary society; Les Vigneron Francais, for example, concerns Samir (Roschdy Zem), an Arabic man working as a telephone salesman for a French wine company who is compelled to use a French name and conceal his true identity because his boss believes Arabs generally know little about wine. In Cyrano, a girl from an upper-class family makes a surprising discovery about her secret admirer. Poitiers, Voiture 11 follows a short-tempered man (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) who manages to say exactly the wrong things as he finds himself crowded into a railroad compartment with a large family from Africa. Maman, Regarde! follows a little boy who, while shopping with his mother, loudly points out the presence of a black customer in the store. A boy from Africa wonders what challenges he'll have to face as he travels to France for the first time in Lettre a Abou. And the title segment finds an elderly immigrant and his grandson receiving rude treatment in a public place; the boy is certain they should demand an apology, while the older man is reluctant to make waves. After finding an appreciative audience on French television, the Pas D'Histoires! shorts were collected into a feature that earned a theatrical release in England as well as France.~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide