A young man is sent to "La Maca", a prison in the middle of the Ivorian forest, ruled by its inmates. As tradition goes with the rising of the red moon, he is designated by the boss to be the new "Roman" and must tell the other prisoners a story. Learning what fate awaits him, he begins to narrate the mystical life of the legendary outlaw named “Zama King” and has no choice but to make his story last until dawn.

Direction: Philippe Lacôte

Script: Philippe Lacôte

Production: Delphine Jaquet

Co-Production: Yanick Létourneau, Ernest Kona, Yoro Mbaye

Cinematography: Tobie Marier Robitaille

Editing: Aube Foglia

Production Design: Samuel Teisseire

Costume Design: Hanna Sjödin

Make-Up: Soussaba Kouyaté

Sound: Emmanuel Croset

Original Score: Olivier Alary

Cast: Koné Bakary, Steve Tientcheu, Laetitia Ky, Denis Lavant

Original Title: LA NUIT DES ROIS

Original Language: French

Film Production Countries: France, Côte d'Ivoire, Canada, Senegal

Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/nightofkingsmovie/?hl=fr

Biography of the Director/s
Philippe Lacôte grew up in Abidjan near a movie theatre – the «Magic». His work as a director has taken on several forms, before focusing in 2002 on the recent history of his country with ​CHRONICLES OF WAR IN THE IVORY COAST, a film on the edge between a documentary and a diary. It is followed by the ​feature film ​RUN, the story of a wandering madman, selected in Cannes Un Certain Regard 2014. This selection confirmed his talent as a filmmaker and revealed a new voice from the African continent. NIGHT OF THE KINGS (original title “La Nuit Des Rois”), his second feature, is a dive into the largest prison in West Africa, during a night of red moon.

Filmography of the Director/s
2018 SLAVERY ROUTES, doc. series, co-directed with Juan Gélas
2014 RUN
2013 TO REPEL GHOSTS, short
2008 CHRONICLES OF WAR IN THE IVORY COAST, doc.
2006 THE MESSENGER, short
2003 CAIRO HOURS, doc.
2001 AFFAIRE LIBINSKI, short
1996 SOMNAMBULE, short

Awards Won
Toronto IFF 2020: Amplify Voices Award
Chicago FF 2020: Best Cinematography
Movies that Matter FF 2021: Camera Justitia Award

Production Company:
Banshee Films
Delphine Jaquet
25, avenue de la République
Epinay-sur-Seine, 93800, France
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: n/a

World Sales:
Memento International
Gaëlle Palluel
9, cité Paradis
Paris, 75010, France
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +33 1 53 34 90 33