French directorLadj Lyis at theTorontoInternational Film Festival this weekend with second featureLes Indesirables.
The case was documented in artist and photographer JRsChronicles Of Clichy Montfermeilproject, in which Ly was involved.
The pair will be participating in a TIFF Dialogues talk on Sunday.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Deadline talked to Ly ahead of the world premiere.
DEADLINE:What drew you to the issue of housing?
LADJ LY: We have a real problem in France.
Its a sensitive issue.
There are hundreds of thousands of people without proper accommodation.
Its also a personal story linked to what happened to the building I grew up in.
Property speculation and gentrification are forcing people out.
The poorest are being forced further and further out.
How do you feel about this timing?
LY:Its a recurrent problem in France: violence, murders by the police in these neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, this pop in of thing is happening every month.
History keeps repeating itself.
The police have carte blanche to kill these youth without ever being condemned.
Thats a fact and the figures show this.
Its not a new problem.
DEADLINE:Theres a scene in the film where the mayors house is attacked.
How did you feel about that?
LY:Were working on a fiction and then sadly reality overtook fiction.
When I saw those images, I was shocked, and I questioned myself.
Hes desperate and has nothing to lose.
Is this a true reflection of the reality in your neighborhood?
LY:Thats the norm, the day-to-day.
Thats what weve always lived with… Theyre not there to protect you, on the contrary.
We have the impression that for them we are undesirables and that theyre there to beat us.
LY:We know what politicians are like.
That was the case with President Macron.
Four years later, the situation has gone from bad to worse.
DEADLINE:The mayor in the film acts with complete disregard for the people in the neighborhood.
Is this also based on reality?
LY:All my films are inspired by real facts, real stories.
DEADLINE:Did you involve local people in the shoot?
Can you talk a bit about that?
LY:We continued to support one another.
About 15 students worked on the film in different departments at the heart of the shoot.
Youre also a producer on first filmHood Witchby Said Belktibia and starring Golshifteh Farahani.
Where do you see your future, in directing or producing?
LY:Said Belktibia is a young talent who has come out of the Kourtrajme school.
Lyly Films is co-producing with Iconoclast.
I prefer directing, but I like producing too.
So Im wearing two hats.
DEADLINE:Whats next?
Thats my next destination with a project that Im developing.
Its too early to give details but it will be in Africa.
Making a film for millions of dollars, its not really what motivates me.
Making a big film for the sake of making a big film, it doesnt really interest me.
