Night of the Kings

Night of the Kings

Original title: La Nuit des Rois
Director: Philippe Lacôte
Cast: Koné Bakary, Steve Tientcheu, Issaka Sawadogo, Denis Lavant, Rasmané Ouédraogo
Country: Côte d’Ivoire, France, Canada, Senegal
Year of production: 2020
Length (min): 93
Language: Dioula, French, Nouchi
Subtitles: Czech, English
Sales: Memento Films International
Section: Panorama: New Currents
Sponsors: Francouzský institut v Praze

A young man is taken to a mysterious prison somewhere in the heart of a hostile jungle. The prison rules are very peculiar and the place is run by the inmates themselves. During one of the rituals held by the dawn of the blood-red moon the man is assigned to tell a story which decides his life or death. This modern take on One Thousand and One Nights is full of violence and dominance but it also turns into a hallucinogenic nightmare telling a story of the war in Ivory Coast.

Philippe Lacôte

The native of Ivory Coast premiered his film debut Run (2014) at Cannes festival. This admirer of Tarkovsky and Fassbinder is mostly interested in the transformation of the society in his country plagued by civil unrest. Night of the Kings premiered at Venice Film Festival and made the Oscar shortlist. In February, Variety magazine listed Lacôte as one of the ten most promising directors to watch.

With support

Francouzský institut v Praze

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