Exclusive: French screenwriter and director Simon Moutaïrou spent summers as a teenager in his father’s native country of Benin in West Africa.
Etched on his memory from this time are the trips to its so-called slave coast and port city of Ouidah, through which more than one million Africans passed in the 18th and early 19th centuries ahead of being transported overseas for a life of slavery.
“There is an enormous red brick arch commemorating these deportations, ‘The Door of No Return’,” says Moutaïrou.
“I couldn’t get my head around this idea of such inequality between people, or human beings being treated like animals. When my father or uncles talked to me about what had happened, my adolescent spirit couldn’t fathom it … but it always stayed in the back of my mind.”
Some 20 years on, Moutaïrou’s feature directorial debut No Chains, No Masters is making waves...
Etched on his memory from this time are the trips to its so-called slave coast and port city of Ouidah, through which more than one million Africans passed in the 18th and early 19th centuries ahead of being transported overseas for a life of slavery.
“There is an enormous red brick arch commemorating these deportations, ‘The Door of No Return’,” says Moutaïrou.
“I couldn’t get my head around this idea of such inequality between people, or human beings being treated like animals. When my father or uncles talked to me about what had happened, my adolescent spirit couldn’t fathom it … but it always stayed in the back of my mind.”
Some 20 years on, Moutaïrou’s feature directorial debut No Chains, No Masters is making waves...
- 9/18/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Roll up, roll up for Part 2 of our Cannes Film Festival preview, this time with a focus on international, mainly non-English-language fare. If you didn’t catch Andreas’ English-language-focused Part 1, check it out.
As the fest basks in the warm glow of the Oscar wins for 2023 Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall and Grand Jury Prize winner The Zone of Interest, delegate general Thierry Frémaux and his team are furiously tying up the 2024 Official Selection.
With less than four weeks to go until the bulk of the 77th edition (running May 14-25) is revealed at the press conference in Paris on April 11, we’ve rounded up a host of the titles ready and in the running for a splash in either Official Selection or the main parallel sections of Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week.
The registration deadline was March 15, with March 22 the official cut-off for submissions to arrive...
As the fest basks in the warm glow of the Oscar wins for 2023 Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall and Grand Jury Prize winner The Zone of Interest, delegate general Thierry Frémaux and his team are furiously tying up the 2024 Official Selection.
With less than four weeks to go until the bulk of the 77th edition (running May 14-25) is revealed at the press conference in Paris on April 11, we’ve rounded up a host of the titles ready and in the running for a splash in either Official Selection or the main parallel sections of Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week.
The registration deadline was March 15, with March 22 the official cut-off for submissions to arrive...
- 3/18/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Simon Moutaïrou, the critically acclaimed screenwriter behind the spy thriller hit “Black Box,” has partnered with some of France’s biggest players — leading producer Chi-Fou-Mi and Studiocanal — on his ambitious directorial debut, “No Chains, No Masters.”
Now in post, “No Chains, No Masters,” is an epic movie inspired by historical accounts of former slaves in West Africa, nicknamed Maroons, who emancipated themselves from French settlements.
Set in 1759, in the French colony of Mauritius Island, “No Chains, No Masters” is an epic historical drama following a father, Massamba (Ibrahima Mbaye Thié), and his fierce teenage daughter Mati (Anna Thiandoum) who defy all odds to survive a manhunt across the jungle and emancipate themselves from the hell of a colonial plantation.
The story revolves around Mati, who refuses to accept her fate and flees from the plantation, hoping to seek freedom in a remote part of the island, where a community of fugitives is said to live.
Now in post, “No Chains, No Masters,” is an epic movie inspired by historical accounts of former slaves in West Africa, nicknamed Maroons, who emancipated themselves from French settlements.
Set in 1759, in the French colony of Mauritius Island, “No Chains, No Masters” is an epic historical drama following a father, Massamba (Ibrahima Mbaye Thié), and his fierce teenage daughter Mati (Anna Thiandoum) who defy all odds to survive a manhunt across the jungle and emancipate themselves from the hell of a colonial plantation.
The story revolves around Mati, who refuses to accept her fate and flees from the plantation, hoping to seek freedom in a remote part of the island, where a community of fugitives is said to live.
- 2/15/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Benoît Magimel is a Slave to the Trade: Simon Moutaïrou Begins Production on “Ni chaînes ni maîtres”
He managed to “outdo” his 2022 Cannes experience of Revoir Paris and Albert Serra’s masterwork Pacifiction, with a three film presence on the croisette this year with premieres of The King of Algiers (aka Omar la fraise), Rosalie and the excellent The Pot au Feu. This week Benoît Magimel joins the cast of Ni chaînes ni maîtres – Black Box / Goliath scribe Simon Moutaïrou‘s directorial debut. Camille Cottin, Félix Lefebvre, Swala Emati, Ibrahima Mbaye Tchie and Anna Thiandoum are part of the cast. The Chi-Fou-mi’s Nicolas Dumont and Hugo Sélignac (Omar la fraise) produce the film.…...
- 6/7/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Even for the twisty paranoid thriller sub-genre, there is a whole lot going on in Yann Gozlan’s Black Box. Not boring yet not quite enveloping, the film never reaches its boiling point despite plenty of bluster. The story concerns Mathieu (Pierre Niney), a young black box analyst tasked with examining the recorded remains of a tragic plane crash. All 300 passengers died in what appears to be a terrorist attack aboard a brand-new aircraft. The deeper Mathieu digs, the more complicated things, of course, become. This plus a senior colleague (Olivier Rabourdin) who mysteriously disappeared breeds an obsession to discover the truth. A request to quickly clean up the mess from his stalwart supervisor (André Dussollier), alongside some willful ignorance from a friendly airline executive (Sébastien Pouderoux), and additional pressure from Mathieu’s own partner Noemie (Lou de Laâge)––herself responsible for certifying the planes that fly, including the one...
- 4/28/2022
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
“Black Box,” Studiocanal’s flight-themed French thriller with Pierre Niney (“Yves Saint Laurent”) has been acquired by Distrib Films for U.S. distribution.
Directed by Yann Gozlan, the movie had its North American premiere on Nov. 5 at Colcoa, the French film and series festival in Los Angeles. The movie, which also stars Marine Vacth (“Young And Beautiful”) reteams Niney with Gozlan following “A Perfect Man.”
Niney stars as a skilled black box analyst investigating the deadly crash of a brand new aircraft. As he uncovers disturbing details, he has to deal with the fact that his wife (Vacth) happens to work for the authorities. The film was produced by Paris-based outfit 2425 and Wy Productions. Studiocanal co-produced, distributed in France and is handling international sales. The deal with Distrib Films doesn’t include SVOD rights in the U.S.
Gozlan penned the script with Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard and Simon Moutairou, in collaboration with Jérémie Guez.
Directed by Yann Gozlan, the movie had its North American premiere on Nov. 5 at Colcoa, the French film and series festival in Los Angeles. The movie, which also stars Marine Vacth (“Young And Beautiful”) reteams Niney with Gozlan following “A Perfect Man.”
Niney stars as a skilled black box analyst investigating the deadly crash of a brand new aircraft. As he uncovers disturbing details, he has to deal with the fact that his wife (Vacth) happens to work for the authorities. The film was produced by Paris-based outfit 2425 and Wy Productions. Studiocanal co-produced, distributed in France and is handling international sales. The deal with Distrib Films doesn’t include SVOD rights in the U.S.
Gozlan penned the script with Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard and Simon Moutairou, in collaboration with Jérémie Guez.
- 11/6/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Rating: 2.5/5
Writers: Julien Leclercq and Simon Moutairou, Roland Môntins and Gilles Cauture (book)
Director: Julien Leclercq
Cast: Vincent Elbaz, Grégori Derangère, Mélanie Bernier, Philippe Bas
It’s fitting that in the tenth year of the Tribeca Film Festival, whose inaugural year took place just six months before the World Trade Center attack, the powers that be have decided to program a film about terrorism to commemorate the tragic events that unfolded on September 11th, 2001. That connection and the fact that Julien Leclercq’s The Assault is an engaging thriller justifies the film’s inclusion in this year's slate.
Read more on Tribeca 2011 Review: The Assault...
Writers: Julien Leclercq and Simon Moutairou, Roland Môntins and Gilles Cauture (book)
Director: Julien Leclercq
Cast: Vincent Elbaz, Grégori Derangère, Mélanie Bernier, Philippe Bas
It’s fitting that in the tenth year of the Tribeca Film Festival, whose inaugural year took place just six months before the World Trade Center attack, the powers that be have decided to program a film about terrorism to commemorate the tragic events that unfolded on September 11th, 2001. That connection and the fact that Julien Leclercq’s The Assault is an engaging thriller justifies the film’s inclusion in this year's slate.
Read more on Tribeca 2011 Review: The Assault...
- 5/3/2011
- by Drew Tinnin
- GordonandtheWhale
Year: 2011
Directors: Julien Leclerq
Writers: Simon Moutairou / Julien Leclercq,
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Bob Doto
Rating: 5.9 out of 10
Julien Leclercq's The Assault is a guy-drama ostensibly about a family-man caught between his loyalty to the French police force and his wife and daughter, using as its backdrop the events of December 1994 when members of the Gia (Armed Islamic Group) overtook an Air France flight in Algiers and kept two hundred passengers hostage. Family man is pudgy, but still in it to win it. The hijackers are at times conflicted, but ultimately brutal. The high-on-the-hill government is calculative and methodical. Aside from some fairly decent character development, (Yahia [Aymen Saidi] as the head of the Gia operation is believably tortured and acts from the gut), The Assault is ultimately a man-fest, complete with sentimental piano flourishes, dramatic avant-Bedouin soundscapes, and heaps and heaps and heaps of tug-at-the-heart-strings slow-motion cop scenes.
Directors: Julien Leclerq
Writers: Simon Moutairou / Julien Leclercq,
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Bob Doto
Rating: 5.9 out of 10
Julien Leclercq's The Assault is a guy-drama ostensibly about a family-man caught between his loyalty to the French police force and his wife and daughter, using as its backdrop the events of December 1994 when members of the Gia (Armed Islamic Group) overtook an Air France flight in Algiers and kept two hundred passengers hostage. Family man is pudgy, but still in it to win it. The hijackers are at times conflicted, but ultimately brutal. The high-on-the-hill government is calculative and methodical. Aside from some fairly decent character development, (Yahia [Aymen Saidi] as the head of the Gia operation is believably tortured and acts from the gut), The Assault is ultimately a man-fest, complete with sentimental piano flourishes, dramatic avant-Bedouin soundscapes, and heaps and heaps and heaps of tug-at-the-heart-strings slow-motion cop scenes.
- 4/27/2011
- QuietEarth.us
Recently the Tribeca Film Festival announced it’s lineup for its heavy hitters: Spotlight, Cinemania, and Specials Screening sections. With selections such as Troll Hunters, Let the Bullets Fly, and Point Blank only scratching the surface of the variety and diversity of this year’s slate, Tff 2011 is looking out to be very promising. Check out the lineups by viewing the press release below. The remaining feature films will be announced March 23, with full coverage by the end of April.
10th Tribeca Film Festival Announces Film Selections
For Spotlight And Cinemania Sections And Special Screenings
***
Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival Lineup Also Revealed
New York, NY [March 14, 2011] – The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from...
10th Tribeca Film Festival Announces Film Selections
For Spotlight And Cinemania Sections And Special Screenings
***
Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival Lineup Also Revealed
New York, NY [March 14, 2011] – The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from...
- 3/16/2011
- by Christopher Clemente
- SoundOnSight
The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival will host thirty-three films this year, beginning April 20th. This one of a kind event that takes place in New York each year and 2011 is a special time for horror and thriller fans. Two dozen thrillers and horror features will show this year, with Rabies, Saint, Trollhunter, and The Bleeding House standing out. Each of these four films will be part of Tribeca's Cinemania feature, which consists of films "that defy categorization from all around the world." Have a closer look at several of the more exciting films to show at the festival, below.
The Assault (L’assaut)
Director: Julien Leclerq, Writers: Simon Moutairou and Julien Leclerq.
(France) – International Premiere, Narrative.
"Christmas Eve, 1994. In war-torn Algiers, four men uniformed as border guards hijack Air France Flight 8969, foreboding doom for all 220 passengers. But on their arrival in Marseilles, the elite French Swat force waits to avert tragedy.
The Assault (L’assaut)
Director: Julien Leclerq, Writers: Simon Moutairou and Julien Leclerq.
(France) – International Premiere, Narrative.
"Christmas Eve, 1994. In war-torn Algiers, four men uniformed as border guards hijack Air France Flight 8969, foreboding doom for all 220 passengers. But on their arrival in Marseilles, the elite French Swat force waits to avert tragedy.
- 3/15/2011
- by Remove28DaysLaterAnalysisThis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival Lineup Also Revealed
New York, NY [March 14, 2011] . The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from April 20 to May 1 in lower Manhattan.
.Now that the majority of the program has been announced I believe you will see the rich variety and quality of the films and talent that we are presenting at Tribeca this year,. said David Kwok, Director of Programming. .The program is about both discovery and showcasing a broad range of filmmaking to our eclectic and diverse audiences who are passionate about film..
.This year.s Spotlight is a mixture of carefully selected festival favorites from around the globe, highly anticipated releases, a number of new works by high...
New York, NY [March 14, 2011] . The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup. The 10th edition of the Festival will take place from April 20 to May 1 in lower Manhattan.
.Now that the majority of the program has been announced I believe you will see the rich variety and quality of the films and talent that we are presenting at Tribeca this year,. said David Kwok, Director of Programming. .The program is about both discovery and showcasing a broad range of filmmaking to our eclectic and diverse audiences who are passionate about film..
.This year.s Spotlight is a mixture of carefully selected festival favorites from around the globe, highly anticipated releases, a number of new works by high...
- 3/15/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 10th Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1) announced Monday its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup.
Spotlight is comprised of 33 films, including 16 documentaries and 17 narratives, 16 of which will world premiere at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers an eclectic assortment of eight narrative films that defy categorization from all around the world.
Meanwhile, the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival will feature the world premiere of Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney’s “Catching Hell” as its Centerpiece Gala. The film explores the relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following his infamous near-catch of a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series.
The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screenings follow, as well as the titles in the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival. Descriptions were provided by the festival.
Spotlight is comprised of 33 films, including 16 documentaries and 17 narratives, 16 of which will world premiere at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers an eclectic assortment of eight narrative films that defy categorization from all around the world.
Meanwhile, the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival will feature the world premiere of Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney’s “Catching Hell” as its Centerpiece Gala. The film explores the relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following his infamous near-catch of a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series.
The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screenings follow, as well as the titles in the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival. Descriptions were provided by the festival.
- 3/14/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
The 10th Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1) announced Monday its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival lineup.
Spotlight is comprised of 33 films, including 16 documentaries and 17 narratives, 16 of which will world premiere at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers an eclectic assortment of eight narrative films that defy categorization from all around the world.
Meanwhile, the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival will feature the world premiere of Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney’s “Catching Hell” as its Centerpiece Gala. The film explores the relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following his infamous near-catch of a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series.
The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screenings follow, as well as the titles in the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival. Descriptions were provided by the festival.
Spotlight is comprised of 33 films, including 16 documentaries and 17 narratives, 16 of which will world premiere at the Festival. The Cinemania section offers an eclectic assortment of eight narrative films that defy categorization from all around the world.
Meanwhile, the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival will feature the world premiere of Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney’s “Catching Hell” as its Centerpiece Gala. The film explores the relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following his infamous near-catch of a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series.
The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screenings follow, as well as the titles in the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival. Descriptions were provided by the festival.
- 3/14/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
The Tribeca Film Festival announced today the films selected for the Spotlight, Cinemania, Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival and Special Screenings sections for their 10th edition, which takes place April 20 – May 1.
Some of the highlights include Sundance favorites Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, The Guard starring Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson, and Higher Ground which is starred and directed by Vera Farmiga. There’s also Revenge of the Electric Car, the follow-up to Chris Paine‘s doc Who Killed the Electric Car?, and Tribeca regular Alex Gibney returns with Catching Hell. Chosen as the Gala film in the Tribeca/Espn section, it looks at the most hated man in Chicago: Cubs fan Steve Bartman.
Complete titles are below.
Spotlight
· The Assault (L’assaut), directed by Julien Leclerq, written by Simon Moutairou and Julien Leclerq. (France) – International Premiere, Narrative. Christmas Eve, 1994. In war-torn Algiers, four men...
Some of the highlights include Sundance favorites Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, The Guard starring Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson, and Higher Ground which is starred and directed by Vera Farmiga. There’s also Revenge of the Electric Car, the follow-up to Chris Paine‘s doc Who Killed the Electric Car?, and Tribeca regular Alex Gibney returns with Catching Hell. Chosen as the Gala film in the Tribeca/Espn section, it looks at the most hated man in Chicago: Cubs fan Steve Bartman.
Complete titles are below.
Spotlight
· The Assault (L’assaut), directed by Julien Leclerq, written by Simon Moutairou and Julien Leclerq. (France) – International Premiere, Narrative. Christmas Eve, 1994. In war-torn Algiers, four men...
- 3/14/2011
- by Jason Guerrasio
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
This year’s Tribeca will be running from Wednesday, April 20 to Sunday, May 1, so its close start date means that the lineup of movies are coming in fast. We’ve already gotten the World Narrative and World Documentary categories, and the next batch of movies have just been revealed.
Thanks to Deadline, we now have movies in the Spotlight, Cinemania, Special Screening and Sports categories. The list isn’t half bad; the one I’m looking forward to the most is The Guard, which got very strong reviews at Sundance earlier this year. All the categories seem to have solid picks, and I’d say this is shaping up to be a good year. Tfs will be there (including me!), so many of these movies will have reviews up on the site when the festival runs. Take a look at it below:
Spotlight
· The Assault (L’assaut), directed by Julien Leclerq,...
Thanks to Deadline, we now have movies in the Spotlight, Cinemania, Special Screening and Sports categories. The list isn’t half bad; the one I’m looking forward to the most is The Guard, which got very strong reviews at Sundance earlier this year. All the categories seem to have solid picks, and I’d say this is shaping up to be a good year. Tfs will be there (including me!), so many of these movies will have reviews up on the site when the festival runs. Take a look at it below:
Spotlight
· The Assault (L’assaut), directed by Julien Leclerq,...
- 3/14/2011
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Well, congratulations New Yorkers, because you’ll get to see at least 2 films I saw at Sundance in January, when they screen at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, which just announced the second half of its festival lineup – the Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screening sections, most notably.
The films I’m referring to are Michael Rapaport’s Tribe Called Quest documentary, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, and The Guard, which Don Cheadle co-stars in, as an FBI agent (or is it CIA).
I’m still planning on going through the full list of entries to spotlight any titles worthy of this website, and I’ll do that in coming days/weeks… definitely before the festival begins next month – a festival I plan to attend, since it’s right in my backyard.
Worth noting is that Rapaport’s doc will be making its New York premiere, the...
The films I’m referring to are Michael Rapaport’s Tribe Called Quest documentary, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, and The Guard, which Don Cheadle co-stars in, as an FBI agent (or is it CIA).
I’m still planning on going through the full list of entries to spotlight any titles worthy of this website, and I’ll do that in coming days/weeks… definitely before the festival begins next month – a festival I plan to attend, since it’s right in my backyard.
Worth noting is that Rapaport’s doc will be making its New York premiere, the...
- 3/14/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival has released the second leg of its festival slate, unveiling the Spotlight, Cinemania and Special Screening Sections, as well as the premiere of the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Fest. There are some more films to be announced March 23, and I hope they're good because so far, it feels like South By Southwest (going on now) has hotter titles. A lot of the selection below will be familiar to those who've attended other festivals. Tribeca begins April 20 and runs through May 1. The festival already set its World Narrative and Documentary categories. Spotlight · The Assault (L’assaut), directed by Julien Leclerq, written by Simon Moutairou and Julien Leclerq. (France) – International Premiere, Narrative. Christmas Eve, 1994. In war-torn Algiers, four men uniformed as border guards hijack Air France Flight 8969, foreboding doom for all 220 passengers. But on their arrival in Marseilles, the elite French Swat force waits to avert tragedy…. Based...
- 3/14/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
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