Filmed in 30 days during the summer of 2018 in the communes of Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil in Seine Saint-Denis (93), Les Misérables, the first feature film by director Ladj Ly, was released in theaters on November 20, 2019.
In all, the film allowed 162 people to work on the project including:
- 3 on the script
- 1 director
- 14 people in production
- 32 actors
- 43 extras
- 53 film technicians
- 16 post-production technicians
Produced by Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral of Srab Films and support by Paris Region, the film was released by Le Pacte, which deployed a large promotional campaign all over France with a release on 500 copies.
Ladj Ly first made a name for himself in the Kourtrajmé collective, which was created in 1994 with his associates Kim Chapiron, Romain Gavras and Toumani Sangaré. Based in Seine Saint-Denis, the collective has been active for many years in promoting the emergence of talent in Seine Saint-Denis. In November 2018, they opened their own film school, with the ambition to deliver quality audiovisual, artistic and technical training in the 93 department.
With Les Misérables, Ladj Ly plunges the spectator into the heart of the suburbs of Clichy sous-bois and Montfermeil, two towns he knows well since he grew up there. Filmed mainly on natural sets with young non-professional actors, the film denounces the power struggle between the police and the inhabitants of the neighborhoods and the abusive police violence.
The societal issues of suburban cities inspire directors, and often with success. In particular, there are films such as Deephan by Jacques Audiard, which was filmed in the Coudraie housing project in Poissy in the Yvelines (78) and won the Palme D'or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015; Girlhood by Céline Sciamma, which was filmed mainly in Bagnolet (93) and received numerous awards at international festivals; La Haine, a film by Matthieu Kassovitz, which received the award for Best Director at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, and was filmed in Chanteloup-les-Vignes (78), and the comedy by Michel Leclerc and Baya Kasmi, Battle of the Classes, which was filmed in Bagnolet, and was sponsored and supported by the Region.
Les Misérables has already received a very positive critical reception. Distinguished with the Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the CST (Higher Technical Commission for Sound and Images) awarded the 2019 CST Technical Award to Flora Volpelière, the chief editor, and Julien Poupard (AFC) the director of photography on the film.
