Fanon, a necessary film: from fashion to the screen, a struggle that continues

One hundred years after his birth, Fanon comes to life on the big screen

2025 marks the centenary of Frantz Fanon , psychiatrist, revolutionary thinker and theorist of structural racism. For five years now, United Souls has been paying tribute to him through a creation by Marie-Claire Laffaire , produced in collaboration with filmmaker Jean-Claude Barny .

And this year, Fanon's story finally unfolds in cinema !
April 2, 2025 : theatrical release of the biopic Fanon , an essential, masterful, necessary film.

Go see Fanon ! It's a masterpiece.
A work of striking visual beauty, driven by a strong artistic vision. Jean-Claude Barny transforms a subject that official history has long tried to stifle into a great, accessible and moving film . Its strength lies in the genius of the director , who manages to turn this painful story into a cinematic fresco that is both educational and emotional, which can be seen, transmitted and shared with the family.

United Souls, ART Weapon and the transmission of memory

Beyond the fashion movement with United Souls , I wanted to go even further in this process of transmission and reflection by founding ART Weapon , an association where art and consciousness nourish each other . In collaboration with institutions and academics, ART Weapon creates spaces where ideas are debated, where history is seen and heard : exhibitions, conferences, screenings...

In Toulouse, where United Souls is headquartered, we have already organized two editions of Africa in Struggle at the Hôtel du Conseil Départemental de la Haute-Garonne. This year, in the same spirit, the Toulouse City Hall joined us to pay tribute to Fanon , in collaboration with Toulouse Diversités – Toulouse Council of Foreign Residents and the Cinélatino Festival .

An exceptional tribute to Toulouse

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the centenary of Frantz Fanon , a weekend of commemoration and reflection was organized in Toulouse:

Friday, March 21 – Preview screening of the Fanon biopic at the ABC cinema, opening the 37th edition of the Cinélatino Festival .
Saturday, March 22 – Round table at the Espace Diversités Laïcité (6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) on Fanon’s legacy and contemporary struggles against racism .

A key figure in anti-colonial and anti-racist struggles, Frantz Fanon left his mark on the fight for emancipation and dignity . This event explored the relevance of his thinking through rich discussions and in-depth analyses, in the presence of the film crew and key speakers .

A huge thank you to:

• The film crew for their presence at the round table,
• Journalist Éléonore Bassop for leading the discussions,
• All the speakers for the quality of the debates ( Amzat Boukari-Yabara – Historian and specialist in Pan-Africanism, Hourya Bentouhami – Philosopher and specialist in critical theories and Stéphanie Mulot – Sociologist and specialist in issues of racism and inequality)
• Toulouse Diversités for their support in the realization of this event, organized in partnership with ART Weapon, Cooperation without Borders and Les Mots d'Éléo .

My meeting with Jean-Claude Barny: when history is also written off screen

Six years ago, we met through… United Souls . One day, while scrolling through social media, I saw that Jean-Claude Barny had liked one of my posts . I decided to send him a message, and the exchange continued until we met at Place Gambetta in Paris . That's when he suggested an idea that would go down in the brand's history: adding Fanon to our collection .

The artist Marie-Claire Laffaire , already the author of the visual of Lumumba , then created the drawing of Fanon . An obvious choice, because the fight of Lumumba and that of Fanon are inseparable . Barny actively supports the promotion of this work, generously shares his network, and it is also thanks to him that I met Nathalie "Nénéh" , a hair expert who has become a precious friend. Nénéh also participated in the United Souls 5th anniversary fashion show at La Bellevilloise , an event which Barny attended, accompanied by his eldest son who even paraded for the brand!

©photo: Christine Guais

Since then, the path has been traced , and today, Jean-Claude Barny is directing Fanon , the first biopic of the thinker directed by a Caribbean filmmaker .

A film that breaks the silence

Released on April 2nd , Fanon has been enthusiastically received by critics and marks an important milestone in the fight against structural racism in France . As Barny predicted during our discussions, the crossover between the United Souls brand and the cinematic work will allow future generations to "discover their mission, fulfill it or betray it," echoing Fanon's own words.

Now, the racial, racialist, and racist past of the French state is finally beginning to emerge under the cover of its motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity." The memory of those who fought for justice can no longer be hidden, and the history of France, rich in its multicultural past, must be fully embraced.

So, go see Fanon . But before you do, wear it proudly.
To carry Fanon is to affirm a fight, a struggle, an ideal . It is to claim a history that we refuse to forget .

United Souls x Fanon x ART Weapon: the story continues.