Night Of The Kings [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Philippe Lacôte
scheda film], the second full-length movie by the French-Ivory Coast filmmaker Philippe Lacôte who was discovered in Cannes in 2014 (in the Un Certain Regard section) via Run [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], will enjoy its world premiere in the Orizzonti competition of the 77^th Venice International Film Festival (running 2 – 12 September) as well as being screened at the 45^th Toronto Film Festival (running 10 – 19 September) in the Contemporary World Cinema line-up.

Starring in the cast are Koné Bakary, Steve Tientcheu (Les Misérables [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ladj Ly
scheda film], The Breitner Commando [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]), Rasmané Ouédraogo, Issaka Sawadogo, Digbeu Jean Cyrille, Abdoul Karim Konaté, Anzian Marcel, Laetitia Ky and Denis Lavant.

Penned by Philippe Lacôte in collaboration with Delphine Jaquet, the story plunges us into Abidjan’s Maca prison, one of the most overcrowded jails in West Africa. Growing old and ill, Barbe Noire is a kingpin who finds his position increasingly challenged. In a bid to maintain control, he turns to the “story” ritual, which consists of obliging a prisoner to tell stories the whole night long.

Produced by Delphine Jaquet for Banshee Films, The Night of the Kings was co-produced by Wassakara Productions (Ivory Coast), Peripheria (Canada) and Yennenga Production (Senegal). Pre-purchased by Canal+, Ciné+ and Canal+ International, the feature film has also benefitted from the support of the CNC (an advance on receipts and financial aid for visual and sound creation), Eurimages, SODEC, Téléfilm Canada, the Ivory Coast Ministry of Culture and Francophonie, the fund known as Fonds Image de la Francophonie, the SOFICA company Cinécap, TorinoFilmLab, the Creative Europe programme and the Senegal Fund for the Promotion of the Film and Audiovisual Industry (FOPICA).

Cinematography was helmed by Tobie Marier Robitaille and sales are in the hands of Memento Films International.