The festival, remaining true to its practices from previous years, will start off with a pre-opening session at the Imperial Cinema on Wednesday, November 4th, 2020, with a special screening of "NIGHT OF THE KINGS" by Philippe Lacôte, in partnership with the Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie in Québec, the Québec Government Office in Abidjan and TV5 Québec-Canada. Its world-premiere in Venice, a follow-up screening at TIFF a few days ago, representing Ivory Coast in the running for Best International Film at the Oscars, NIGHT OF THE KINGS is a co-production between Canada, Ivory Coast, France and Senegal – the first of its kind.

A poetic work touching on stories in the Ivorian oral tradition, the prison environment, the country’s youth, and the political context of the Ouattara era, the film features Bakary Koné, Steve Tientcheu (LES MISÉRABLES), Burkinabé actors Rasmané Ouedraogo and Issaka Sawadogo (DIEGO STAR, SAMBA), Digbeu Jean Cyrille, Abdoul Karim Konate, Anzian Marcel, Denis Lavant (HOLY MOTORS, THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE) and Ivorian artist Laetitia Ky. The film is produced by Wassakara Productions (CI), Peripheria Productions (CA), Banshee Films (FR) and Yennenga Production (SN). In Quebec, it is distributed by Axia Films.



The storyline: The MACA, Abidjan’s prison, one of the most overcrowded in west Africa. Aging and sick, the incarcerated Barbe Noire is an increasingly challenged kingpin. To keep his power, he reinstates the tradition of “Roman”, a ritual that forces a prisoner to tell stories throughout the night. A young pickpocket is chosen. “Roman” doesn’t know how to tell stories but he is haunted by a single tale, the Zama King tale, an urban legend that he begins to relate (and to invent) for several hours, his life in danger…

CINEMANIA will also be offering a preview programme of North American, Canadian and Québécois works to the public, with the aim of making the best of French-speaking film accessible to all. Several major pictures previously awarded with the “Label Festival de Cannes 2020” have been included in the programme, such as SUMMER OF 85 by François Ozon (BY THE GRACE OF GOD). This film, set in the mid-80s, tells of a dark, passionate romantic encounter between two boys in a seaside resort in Normandy. Festivalgoers will also have the chance to discover SLALOM by Charlène Favier. Starring Noée Abita (AVA, GENESIS) and Jérémie Renier (DOUBLE LOVER), this first feature film directed by Favier was shot in the Savoie region, and deals with sexual abuse in the world of French downhill skiing.

   

"SUMMER OF 85"