A musical epic directed by Med Hondo, West Indies traces the history of these islands (Antilles and Bahamas) through several centuries of French oppression, with a dazzling blend of music, dance and a biting satire of colonialism. According to the Mauritanian director, the film — set on a huge slave ship — sought to “liberate the concept of musical comedy from its American trademark”, showing that “all peoples on this Earth have their own musical comedy, their own musical tragedy and their own way of thinking shaped by their history.”