The African Doctor (in French Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont) is a 2016 French comedy-drama film starring Marc Zinga and Aïssa Maïga. It is based on Kamini Zantoko
's personal experience, which first inspired him the famous/memetic humorous Hip-Hop song "Marly-Gomont".
After his graduation as MD in a French university, Seyolo Zantoko, a Zairian, wants to stay in France. The only opportunity he has to be allowed to stay is accepting to work in a small backward village of Northern France. He settles there with his wife and his two children. Their integration in the local community will be more difficult than he expected.
The African Doctor provides examples of:
- The Alleged Car: The old car that the mayor gives to Dr Zantoko. It soon breaks down.
- All of the Other Reindeer: The Zantokos in the village. Most villagers are outright hostile to them because they are black. In particular, the children suffer from this situation at school, where they are the target of racial slurs.
- Based on a True Story: This film is based on Kamini Zantoko's personal experience. Kamini is one of the scriptwriters.
- Bilingual Bonus: Many lines of dialogue in Lingala are not translated.
- Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: At some point, Anne, Seyolo's wife, leaves her husband to live in Brussels. In the end, Anne and Seyolo reconcile.
- City Mouse: Seyolo's family comes from Kinshasa, the Zairian capital, so it is still more difficult for them to live in a small village.
- Determinator: Dr. Seyolo Zantoko is determined to get accepted in the village, even if he soon realizes that it will be very difficult. (The first patient who calls him shoots at him with a gun when he sees that he is a black person.)
- Distant Finale: The proper ending of the plot is Seyolo's definitive acceptance in the village after the local elections. Then, there is an epilogue about Seyolo's funeral many years later.
- Fish out of Water: A Zairian family in a small backward village of Northern France.
- Foreign Culture Fetish: Dr Seyolo Zantoko admires French culture. This allows him to ignore the outright hostility of most of the villagers.
- Gospel Revival Number: During the midnight mass, the whole Zantoko family, led by a Sassy Black Woman, starts singing a gospel song.
- Hate Sink: Lavigne, who does everything he can to encourage the villagers to reject Dr Zantoko for political reason.
- Heroic BSoD: Dr. Zantoko has one after the gendarmes forbid him from practising medicine.
- An Immigrant's Tale: Dr. Zantoko's story.
- It Will Never Catch On: The film is set in the 70's. Dr Zantoko tells his daughter that one day she could play in France national football team. She answers there are very few black people in the French team. In was true in the 70's, but it is clearly not the case in 2016◊.
- Local Hangout: The pub where Dr Zantoko spends a lot of time to socialize with the locals.
- Meaningful Funeral: Dr Zantoko's funeral. The attendance of the whole village shows that he was finally accepted.
- Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Dr Zantoko tries to imitate the local people. He goes to the local pub, he drinks calvados and beer, he plays darts and cards, and he uses some words of the local dialect.
- Separated by a Common Language: Anne Zantoko, who speaks French perfectly, does not understand a word from the local dialect, vindious (vingt dieux in Standard French, which means "for God's sake"). She thinks this is a form of salutation, since some people say this when they see her (actually, they say it because they are surprised to see a black person). So, she uses it to say hello.
- School Play: There is one in the climax which stages the prior events of the film. The reaction of the audience shows that the Zantokos are definitively accepted in the village.
- Sports Hero Backstory: Sivi, Seyolo's daughter, is very good at soccer. She is even selected to play in the adult male local soccer club and she completely outmatches her opponents.
- Unwanted Rescue: The pregnant woman does not want to be saved by Dr Zantoko. She does not trust him because he is black. The situation is dire enough that he, along with her husband, manage to force the woman into accepting help. His saving the day is a major turning point in the village accepting him.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: After the Distant Finale, we hear what happened to each member of Seyolo's family.
