Roubaix, Police Department, Ordinary Business 2007
Distributed by Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Mosco Boucault
Directed by Mosco Boucault
Streaming, 87 mins
College - General Adult
Crime; Law enforcement
Date Entered: 05/09/2025
Reviewed by Stephanie A. Diaz, Assistant Director for Library Engagement & Enrichment, Grasselli Library & Breen Learning Center, John Carroll UniversityRoubaix, Police Department, Ordinary Business is a French-speaking, feature length documentary with English subtitles that follows the police department between 2001 and 2002, as they work on day-to-day cases and interview victims and suspects of a variety of crimes and complaints.
The filmmakers opt for a more realist style by avoiding excessive dramatization and presenting the interviewees’ accounts with minimal editing. The investigators explore several cases including arson, a runaway, rape, and murder. The first two acts of the film are slow. However, the third act re-captures the audience’s attention as it zeroes in on a horrific case involving subjects shown earlier in the film.
Although several of the stories are heartbreaking, the film lacks a clear message or purpose other than general human interest. An interesting aspect of the film that could be worth examining further is that some subjects fabricated accusations against “Arab” assailants. Due to the timing of the film’s recording, this example may be shown as an example of post-9/11 discrimination.
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