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La nuit des rois (Night of the Kings). 2020. France/Côte d'Ivoire/Canada/Senegal. Written and directed by Philippe Lacôte. With Koné Bakary, Steve Tientcheu, Denis Lavant. In Dyula, French, Nouchi (Ivorian slang); with English subtitles. 93 min.
The notorious La MACA prison, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, undergoes a magical transformation after dark. On his first evening in jail a young man is thrust into the role of griot, a traditional storyteller. Seemingly possessed, he tells an epic tale of a gangster who traverses ancient and present times, putting mesmerized listeners into a trance. Dream and reality collapse into one as actual gang wars break out across cells. French-Ivorian writer-director Philippe Lacôte combines the storytelling traditions of West Africa with magical realism to create a hypnotic cinematic experience. Courtesy of NEON
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