Between The Secret of the Grain, winner of three César Awards, and the Cannes triumph of Blue Is the Warmest Colour, Abdellatif Kechiche made Black Venus, a stark portrait of the life of Saartjie Baartman, also known as the Hottentot Venus .

Baartman was taken from South African home as a 21-year-old and shipped to Georgian London, where she would be caged and exhibited as a freak show. Presented semi-nude, her physique especially her large buttocks was the source of much curiosity.

But as her fame spread, so too did her exploitation... Centred on a remarkable performance by Cuban actor Yahima Torres as Baartman, Black Venus provides a bleak but barbed exploration of sex, science, race, colonialism and social attitudes.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks Optional English subtitles Brand-new appreciation of Black Venus and the cinema of Abdellatif Kechiche by critic Neil Young Theatrical trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Will Higbee, author of Post-Beur Cinema: North African Émigré and Maghrebi-French Filmmaking in France Since 2000