In Bâtiment 5, Ladj Ly made a daring narrative choice, that of situating the action in a fictional town. The director explains why he went in this direction which may seem surprising.
After triumphing with Les Misérables, crowned Best Film at the 2020 César ceremony, Ladj Ly is back in cinema with his new project: Bâtiment 5. After following police officers from the Anti-Criminality Brigade of Montfermeil in his previous feature- feature, this time he invites us to follow a municipal team led by an opportunistic mayor. The latter will find himself confronted with a very committed young activist: Haby.
Involved in the life of the town of Montvilliers, she discovered the new redevelopment plan for the neighborhood in which she grew up. Led on the sly by Pierre Forges, a young pediatrician who has become mayor, he plans the demolition of the building where Haby grew up. With her family, she launches into a standoff against the municipality and its great ambitions to prevent the destruction of building 5.
MONTVILLIERS, A REAL PARIS SUBURBAN TOWN?
After Montfermeil in Les Misérables, a real town located in Seine-Saint-Denis, Ladj Ly preferred to situate the action of Bâtiment in a fictional town: Montvilliers.
“I come from Montfermeil, I grew up there, was nourished by the stories of its inhabitants which inevitably permeate my films but in this case, I wanted to broaden the framework. What happens in the neighborhoods of Montfermeil is passes in many other cities, in France and elsewhere.explains the director.
What is happening in the neighborhoods of Montfermeil is happening in many other cities, in France and elsewhere.
By inventing a city, Ladj Ly said to himself that everyone could be reflected there. “The same goes for the principle of an choral film, which explores stories within history, from the trajectory of this mayor to that of an associative activist, his friend or the deputy mayor. All linked by an observation on the political. Building 5 assures that it is time to rethink things”indicates the director.
For Ladj Ly, Haby symbolizes all of this by looking for avenues, new ways to move the lines. “Through her, I wanted to evoke this new generation of people from the neighborhoods who are starting to be interested in politics as much as those who still hold power but no longer understand anything about our world”believes the filmmaker.
Building 5 hit theaters on December 6.