By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
CANNES, France (AP) --More than 150 years after Victor Hugo's classic novel, a French film titled "Les Miserables" gives a gritty, modern view of the Paris suburbs where Jean Valjean first met Cosette.
Ladj Ly's "Les Miserables," which premiered Wednesday at the Cannes Film Festival, contains no singing or romance, but rather a tough, "The Wire"-like street-level portrait of the Parisian banlieue of Montfermeil. It's the same neighborhood where the 37-year-old Ly grew up and still lives.
Ly says he made his movie as "an alarm bell" for the plight of kids growing up in neighborhoods like Montfermeil.
"For the past 20 years, we've said things are not going well. We have the impression no one's listening," said Ly. "I wanted to address a message to Emmanuel Macron, the president of the Republic. It's important for him to see the film."
"For 20 years now, we have been yellow vests," he added, referencing the ongoing protests of working-class French. "We've been demanding our rights for the past 20 years. We've had to cope with police violence for over 20 years."
"Les Miserables," which is competing for the top Palme d'Or prize in Cannes, shows the Paris suburbs as a combustible powder keg, where neighborhood gang leaders and overanxious police are in a constant dance. Much of Ly's film revolves around the young kids growing up in the housing projects.
In 2015, the Paris banlieue of Clichy-sous-Bois exploded in riots that put an international spotlight on the lives of immigrants and French-Africans in the areas surrounding Paris.
"One shouldn't forget that three-fourths of the people who live in these housing estates are French," said Ly. "Now we have the impression that there are different classifications of citizenship. But we're just French full stop, so accept us as French, full stop."
Other recent films have sought to capture the reality of the banlieues, including "La Haine" and "Dheepan," which won the Palme d'Or in 2015. "Les Miserables," Ly's feature directing debut, drew largely strong reviews in Cannes for its muscular genre work and passionate social commentary.
"One century later, misery, abject poverty is still present in these housing estates," said Ly.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More