Building 5: Is Ladj Ly’s movie based on a true story?

Almost 4 years after Les Misérables, which notably won the César for Best Film in 2020, Ladj Ly returns behind the camera with Bâtiment 5. After narrating the chaotic journey of three policemen from Montfermeil’s anti-crime brigade, the filmmaker shifts perspective. With a focus on politics and poor housing.

Alexis Manent, the tough cop from Les Misérables, this time plays Pierre Forges, a young pediatrician who becomes the mayor of a Paris suburb: Montvilliers. The latter finds himself face to face with Hubby (Anta Diaw), a young woman who is very involved in local life.

An activist discovers a new development plan for the neighborhood he grew up in. Under the cunning guidance of Pierre Forge, he plans to destroy the building where the young woman spent her entire childhood. Together with his family, he starts a resistance against the municipality and its big ambitions to prevent the demolition of the 5th building.

Montvilliers, a real suburb of Paris?

After Montfermeil in Les Misérables, a real town located on the Seine-Saint-Denis, Ladj Ly preferred to set Batiment’s action in a fictional town: Montvilliers. “I come from Montfermeil, I grew up there, I was nourished by the stories of its inhabitants, which are definitely permeated in my films, but in this case I wanted to expand the frame. What happens in the neighborhoods of Montfermeil, there are passes in many other cities. In France and elsewhere.The director explains.

By inventing the city, Ladj Ly said to himself that everyone can be reflected there. The same applies to the principle of a choral film, which explores history, from the trajectory of this mayor to the trajectory of an association activist, his friend or deputy mayor. All this is related to observing the political. Building 5 assures us. that it’s time to reconsider”indicates the director.

For Ladj Ly, the hub symbolizes all this in finding new ways to move the roads, the lines. “Through it, I wanted to invent this new generation of people from the neighborhoods who are starting to be interested in politics in the same way as those who still hold power but no longer understand anything about our world.The filmmaker believes.

Is it based on a true story?

If Building 5 tells a story grounded in reality, the story is entirely fictional, just like Les Miserables. In addition, Laj Lee used his experiences in the suburbs of Paris to create his screenplay. The latter grew up in Montfermeil and witnessed one of the most important urban renewal plans in France.

“If this movie is called Building 5, it’s because I grew up in that building. I saw an urban renewal plan, one of the most important in the country, implemented, but also how the population was built. neighborhoods were the victims”recalls the 45-year-old artist.

“The expropriation of people by buying apartments for ridiculous amounts of money, which is shown in this film, is a reality that shocked me. We have to call a spade a spade, it was a giant scam.”He condemns. “With our tour, we realize that in every French city, Lille, Lyon, Roubaix or Marseille, these are the same problems.It keeps in columns France info.

to the microphone France InterLadj Ly specifies that he wanted to talk about the problem of poor housing, “From these completely abandoned areas.” “I grew up in Montfermeil, in a town called Bosquet, which was co-owned by my parents and when they finished paying off the loan, it was expropriated for €10 or €15,000. with a cash registerHe accuses.

Taking inspiration from reality to ensure authenticity

Originally, Bâtiment 5 was announced as the second part of a triptych that began with Les Misérables and was dedicated to Claude Dillane (mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois from 1995 to 2011, who was a figurehead in the fight against unsanitary housing). Note that the character of Mayor Pierre Forges, played by Alexis Manent, is inspired by several elected officials.

“The starting point for Bâtiment 5 was Claude Dillane. I knew him, his journey was interesting to tell, but over time and writing, the project shifted to something else. Especially when a documentary about his story came out in the meantime.”Ladj Ly explains.

“The fiction around him would do double duty. So the script went in other directions, but I kept the character of Mary and the background of social housing, which was one of Dylan’s struggles. But above all, I made this mayor a man of the right.”

embody hope

According to the director, Hubby, played by Anta Diaw, represents a certain hope. Speaking about his character, the actor also mentions this issue: “What I liked is that it brings hope. We know that when we live in the city, it’s quite difficult, we face difficulties that other people don’t have the opportunity to face.”

That was it for the director “It’s important to have a female character, a black person, who supports the lack of hope. We realize that we can’t achieve anything with violence. Unfortunately, it doesn’t change everything.”He explains, when asked about France’s Inter.

“This character of Hubby represents hope. We realize that our politicians have no idea how people live in these neighborhoods and are pushing for dramatic decisions.”he concluded.

Building 5 hits theaters on November 5.