Night of the Kings winner Camera Justitia
Night of the Kings by director Philippe Lacôte has won the Camera Justitia Award at Movies that Matter Festival 2021.
This raw and energetic film is a unique experience bursting of creativity. When a shy young man arrives at Ivorian Maca Prison, where the inmates rule, the Boss orders him to become the next ‘Roman’: the storyteller. He soon finds out that it is a matter of life and death.
Night of the Kings is available On Demand until Monday 26 April 01:00.
Jury report
The jury describes Night of the Kings as “a beautiful, haunting and poetic feature film that centers on the infamous MACA prison in Abidjan, Cotes d’Ivoire, where the prisoners run the prison, while the guards look on like an audience watching a theater production.” It’s not only praised by the jury because it is an important story about power: “The performances are outstanding. The movie has an epic feel. Like any truly good story, it stays with you and lingers in the imagination.”
Quo Vadis, Aida? has been pointed as the runner-up and was praised as “perhaps the most effective portrayal of the Srebrenica Genocide made to date”.
The Camera Justitia jury consists of:
- Kathryne Bomberger (jury chair) – directeur-generaal International Commission on Missing Persons
- Michel Bravo – Head of Strategy, Innovation and Research at the Directorate General of Police at the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security.
- Mandy Chang – Commissioning Editor bij BBC Storyville
- Ally Derks – co-founder IDFA
- Marieke de Hoon – Assistant Professor in international law, international criminal justice and human rights; Senior Counsel and Director Netherlands Office of the Public International Law & Policy Group