Ladj Ly
{{short description|French filmmaker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ladj Ly
| image = Ladj Ly en 2019.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1980|03|19}}
| nationality = French
| occupation = Film director{{Clear}}Screenwriter
| notable_works = Les Misérables
}}
Ladj Ly ({{IPA|fr|ladʒ li}}; born 19 March 1980 in Paris) is a French film director and screenwriter. He won a Jury Prize in Cannes Film Festival for Les Misérables in 2019. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.{{cite news |title=Les Miserables review|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/28/movies/les-miserables-review.html |accessdate=13 January 2020 |agency=The New York Times |date=28 November 2019}}
Biography
Ly's parents are from Mali and he grew up in Montfermeil, a district of Bosquets. He started making films with his friends Kim Chapiron, Romain Gavras, and JR, in the collective Kourtrajmé.{{cite web | title=Montfermeil : Ladj Ly dans la cour des grands, à Cannes ! | website=leparisien.fr | date=19 April 2019 | url=https://www.leparisien.fr/seine-saint-denis-93/montfermeil-ladj-ly-dans-la-cour-des-grands-a-cannes-19-04-2019-8056881.php | language=fr | access-date=16 May 2019 | last=Sterlé | first=Carole}}
He directed his first films, notably for Oxmo Puccino, and his first documentaries, {{interlanguage link|365 jours à Clichy-Montfermeil|fr}} (365 days in Clichy-Montfermeil), filmed after the 2005 French riots; Go Fast Connexion; and 365 jours au Mali (365 days in Mali).
In 2011, Ly was given a three-year prison sentence for kidnapping and false imprisonment.{{cite web | title=Amad Ly, ex 'porte-parole' des quartiers, condamné à 5 ans de prison | publisher=Agence France-Presse | via=paris.maville.com | date=2 March 2011 | url=https://paris.maville.com/actu/actudet_-Amad-Ly-ex-porte-parole-des-quartiers-condamne-a-5-ans-de-prison_-1713018_actu.Htm | language=fr | access-date=21 August 2020}}{{cite web | title=Ladj Ly, réalisateur des "Misérables", condamné à la prison : trois questions sur la polémique | website=leparisien.fr | date=19 December 2019 | url=https://www.leparisien.fr/culture-loisirs/ladj-ly-realisateur-des-miserables-condamne-a-la-prison-trois-questions-sur-la-polemique-19-12-2019-8221125.php | language=fr | access-date=21 August 2020 | last=Korda | first=Robin}} In 2012, the sentence was reduced on appeal to two years imprisonment, and one year suspended sentence.{{cite web | last=Mathiot | first=Cédric | last2=Leboucq | first2=Fabien | title=Ladj Ly a-t-il fait de la prison pour tentative de meurtre, comme l'écrivent "Causeur" et "Valeurs actuelles" ? | website=Libération.fr | date=18 December 2019 | url=https://www.liberation.fr/checknews/2019/12/18/ladj-ly-a-t-il-fait-de-la-prison-pour-tentative-de-meurtre-comme-l-ecrivent-causeur-et-valeurs-actue_1769863 | language=fr | access-date=21 August 2020}}
Les Misérables is the first non-documentary film he directed.{{cite news |title=Interview with Ladj Ly |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/01/les-miserables-ladj-ly-interview-1202201131/ |accessdate=13 January 2020 |agency=Indiewire |date=1 January 2020}} The film received many awards, notably at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and a nomination for the César Award for Best Short Film in 2018. In the same year, he was nominated for the César Award for Best Documentary Film for {{interlanguage link|À voix haute : La Force de la parole|fr}} with {{interlanguage link|Stéphane de Freitas|fr}}.{{cite web|language=fr|author=Kaganski, Serge|url=https://www.lesinrocks.com/cinema/films-a-l-affiche/voix-haute-la-force-de-la-parole/|title=À voix haute. La force de la parole|website=Les Inrockuptibles|date=2017-04-07|access-date=2019-05-16}}{{cite web|language=fr|author=Sterlé, Carole|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/montfermeil-93370/montfermeil-les-miserables-de-ladj-ly-prime-a-clermont-ferrand-13-02-2017-6678507.php|title=Montfermeil : « Les Misérables de Ladj Ly, primé à Clermont-Ferrand|website=Le Parisien|date=2017-02-17|access-date=2019-05-16}}{{cite web|language=fr|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/cinema/ladj-ly-porte-la-voix-des-banlieues-aux-cesar_3385757.html|title=Ladj Ly porte la voix des banlieues aux César|website=francetvinfo.fr|date=2018-03-01|access-date=2019-05-16}}
In 2018 in Montfermeil, Ly created a free film school, called "L'école Kourtrajmé".{{cite web|language=fr|author=Sterlé, Carole|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/seine-saint-denis-93/clichy-montfermeil-le-cineaste-ladj-ly-forme-la-releve-25-09-2018-7902210.php|title=Clichy - Montfermeil : le cinéaste Ladj Ly forme la relève|website=Le Parisien|date=2018-09-25|access-date=2019-05-16}}
With co-writers Alexis Manenti and Giordano Gederlini, he won the Lumière Award for Best Screenplay,Scott Roxborough, [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2020-lumieres-award-winners-les-miserables-wins-frances-top-prize-1272628/best-director-166/ "France’s Lumiere Awards: ‘Les Misérables’ Wins Best Film, Roman Polanski Tapped as Best Director"]. The Hollywood Reporter, 27 January 2020. and was nominated for the César Award for Best Original ScreenplayMelanie Goodfellow, [https://www.screendaily.com/news/cesar-awards-les-miserables-wins-best-film-polanski-takes-best-director/5147739.article "César awards: ‘Les Miserables’ wins best film, Polanski takes best director"]. Screen Daily, 28 February 2020. and the European Film Award for Best Screenwriter,Nancy Tartaglione, [https://deadline.com/2019/11/european-film-awards-2019-nominations-roman-polanski-pedro-almodovar-full-list-1202782005/ "European Film Awards Nominations: Polanski’s ‘An Officer And A Spy’, Almodovar’s ‘Pain And Glory’, Bellocchio’s ‘Traitor’ Lead"]. Deadline Hollywood, 9 November 2019. for the 2019 feature film version of Les Misérables.
His second feature film, Les Indésirables, premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Goodfellow |first=Melanie |date=2023-07-05 |title=Ladj Ly’s ‘Les Indésirables’ To World Premiere At Toronto; Festival Says Paris Outer-City Suburb Drama Is “Timely Tale Of Revolution” |url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/ladj-lys-les-indesirables-world-premiere-toronto-1235430167/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}
in 2025, He will directed a biopic on Thomas Alexandre Dumas titled Dumas - Black Devil.{{cite web |last1=Keslassy |first1=Elsa |title=Ladj Ly’s ‘Dumas: Black Devil’ Sets All-Star French Cast: Omar Sy, Vincent Cassel, François Civil, Theo Christine to Headline Epic Adventure Film (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/global/ladj-ly-dumas-black-devil-omar-sy-vincent-cassel-chapter-2-1236386695/ |website=Variety |date=5 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Dumas - Black Devil: the epic story of France's first black general |url=https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-do-in-paris/cinema-series/articles/320832-dumas-black-devil-the-fate-of-the-general-who-inspired-alexandre-dumas |website=www.sortiraparis.com |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|nm1868177}}
- {{Allocine name}}
{{Lumière Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ly, Ladj}}
Category:French people of Malian descent
Category:French film directors
Category:People from Montfermeil
{{France-film-director-stub}}