La Haine - Rooftop scene

The scene on the rooftop illustrates the difficulties faced by the residents of the projects, whilst also giving examples of the ideologies of these residents.
Most noticeable early on is the situation with the hotdogs, where the thought of paying 5 Francs for a hotdog disgusts Said and Vinz (though Vinz does manage to pay). The poverty-stricken nature of the projects is underlined here, as the chef chases Said when he steals a hotdog; he will not let him 'get away with it', likely because he cannot afford to. The fact that Said does not have 5 Francs also shows how tough times are, and when a man asks to have 2 Francs from Hubert and Vinz, they cannot give him it, either because they don't have it, or because the projects are 'every man for themselves' and they will not help others if they themselves are in need.