For the people
“Les Misérables,” France’s submission for the international feature Oscar, reflects the harsh reality of Paris projects and police brutality.
The 2019 Envelope Live screening series continued Dec. 2 at the Montalbán in Hollywood with a presentation of “Les Misérables” that included an on-stage interview of director and co-writer Ladj Ly (through interpreter Guetty Felin) by The Times’ Jeffrey Fleishman. This “Les Misérables” is not based on the Victor Hugo novel, but a real incident of police brutality in France. It’s that nation’s submission for the international feature Oscar.
The Envelope welcomes a select audience of Hollywood guild members and awards voters during the season to consider some of the year’s most talked-about films, followed by Q&As with cast and filmmakers, moderated by Times journalists.
Though the situation is incendiary, Ly does not paint in black and white: “I wanted to create a space in my film where I could humanize each and every one of my characters,” he said of showing different sides of the three policemen involved.
His heart, though, is likely with the low-income neighborhood that is the primary setting, as he grew up in and still resides in les banlieues of Paris.” I wanted really for other people to see the reality of the projects, of this neighborhood in particular. Because the politicians don’t come, the media doesn’t come to this part of Paris. So it was important for me to show a different side, also, of the projects.”
» My film is like a cry for help in a space that has been ignored for the last 30 years ... This is a film I’m addressing to the politicians of France.
LADJ LY WRITER-DIRECTOR