US Premiere

Les Indésirables

Bâtiment 5

LADJ LY
France, 2023
105 minutes, Color

The follow-up to his previous Oscar®-nominated film, Les Misérables, finds director Ladj Ly returning to similar themes from a fresh angle. Set in a deteriorating immigrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Paris, Les Indésirables pits naive yet reactionary young mayor Pierre (Alexis Manenti) against the earnest but frustrated activist Haby (Anta Diaw) in a battle for both the lives of the town's inhabitants and its future. The mayor was put in place by the political machine with the instruction "Don't make waves." But as conditions for the residents of a rapidly deteriorating apartment building worsen and Haby begins petitioning for help and understanding, the storm of problems escalates. The ultimate confrontation is both shocking and relevant for policymakers and citizens everywhere.—Dave Nuttycombe

In French with English subtitles