Watch "Night of the Kings" with our AiM discount

Night of the Kings / Philippe Lacôte/ Côte d'Ivoire / 2020 / 93 min / French, Dioula, Nouchi

When a young man is incarcerated in Côte d’Ivoire’s largest prison, La MACA, he finds himself entering a world as dangerous and complex as the one he was navigating on the outside. While ostensibly overseen by a team of rundown guards, the prison is really ruled by Blackbeard (Steve Tientcheu). On his last legs, and seeing his power waning, Blackbeard makes one final play to maintain his power over the prison: on the night of the red moon, he designates MACA’s newcomer “Roman.”

In a griot role, Roman (Koné Bakary) must recount a story until the sun rises if he wants to keep his life and stop the prison from falling into chaos. Roman spins a story about Zama King, a notorious gang leader whose life spanned from ancient times to the fall of Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, and was filled with intrigue and magic.

With his sophomore feature, writer-director Philippe Lacôte refuses all genre expectations, flowing between a prison drama and visually stunning sequences that depict Roman’s elaborate tale. Further incorporating song and dance (and a cameo by Denis Lavant), Night of the Kings is a mesmerizing meditation on the art of storytelling and its role in survival.

How to watch the film

1. Head to Altitude's website and click on the ‘Watch At Home’ tab.
2. Click ‘Watch now £9.99’
3. Sign Up for an account
4. Add 10% voucher code at the payment page
   Voucher code: NOTK-AfricaInMotion
5. Add your payment details.
6. Click 'play’

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