Les Misérables

Ladj Ly’s first feature grew out of his own short of the same name, a best short film nominee at the 2018 César ceremony; he had worked in shorts around the Kourtrajmé collective. Shooting ran through the summer of 2018, mainly in Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil. The address is no accident: Victor Hugo wrote part of his novel in Montfermeil and set the meeting of Jean Valjean and Cosette there. It opens on the 2018 World Cup celebrations on the Champs-Élysées. The 2.08 million euro production premiered at Cannes, sharing the Jury Prize with Bacurau, while editor Flora Volpelière and cinematographer Julien Poupard took the CST technician award. At the 45th César ceremony it turned 12 nominations into 4 wins: best film, most promising actor for Alexis Manenti, editing for Volpelière and the audience award. Manenti also co-wrote the screenplay. As the French entry it was nominated for the international feature Oscar. Le Journal du dimanche reported that Emmanuel Macron was shaken by the film’s accuracy and asked his government to move fast on living conditions in the suburbs. A good fit if you want to watch knowing Hugo wrote part of his novel in Montfermeil, the location working as a character. Not for anyone expecting the book’s plot; what the two share is the address, not the story.