Ladj Ly

Ladj Ly, born on March 19, 1980, in Paris, is a prominent French film director and screenwriter renowned for his impactful storytelling. He gained international acclaim with his film *Les Misérables*, which won the Jury Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Hailing from a Malian background, Ly was raised in the Montfermeil neighborhood. His filmmaking journey began with a group of friends, including Kim Chapiron and Romain Gavras, within the Kourtrajmé collective. His early work included directing music videos for artist Oxmo Puccino and producing documentaries such as *365 jours à Clichy-Montfermeil*, which reflects on the social unrest of the 2005 French riots, as well as *Go Fast Connexion* and *365 jours au Mali*.

In a controversial chapter of his life, Ly faced legal issues in 2011, resulting in a prison sentence for kidnapping and false imprisonment, which was later reduced on appeal. Despite these challenges, Ly's creativity flourished. His debut non-documentary feature, *Les Misérables*, garnered multiple accolades, including recognition at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and a César Award nomination for Best Short Film in 2018. That same year, he also received a César nomination for Best Documentary for *À voix haute: La Force de la parole*, co-directed with Stéphane de Freitas.

In 2018, Ly took a significant step in nurturing future talent by establishing "L'école Kourtrajmé," a free film school in Montfermeil, further solidifying his commitment to the craft and his community.