2009/ Fr/ 150mins
Dir: Jaques Audiard Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arastrup, Adel Bencherif

A violent prison drama set in contemporary France, in which the central character undergoes a process of self-discovery.

Condemned to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena, part Arab, part Corsican, cannot read or write. Arriving at the jail entirely alone, he appears younger and more fragile than the other convicts. He is 19 years old. Cornered by the leader of the more »Corsican gang currently ruling the prison, he is given a number of “missions” to carry out, toughening him up and gaining the gang leader’s confidence in the process. Malik is a fast learner and rises up the prison ranks, all the while secretly devising his own plans

‘This is exhilarating filmmaking, a movie which instantly takes its place alongside the greats of the crime movie genre.’ The Times

Bafta Winner: Best Film Not in the English Language
Oscar Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film