About No Chains No Masters/Ni chaînes ni maîtres
1759, Mauritius Island, Indian Ocean. The island is controlled by French settlers and the deported slave population live in fear while toiling in the sugarcane plantations. Unlike her disillusioned father Massamba (Ibrahima Mbaye), 16-year-old Mati (Anna Diakhere Thiandoum) refuses to keep her head down and accept her fate. One night she flees from the plantation, hoping to escape violence and seek freedom in a remote part of the island, where a community of fugitives is said to live. As the plantation owner (Benoît Magimel) hires the merciless slave hunter Madame La Victoire (Camille Cottin) and her sons to pursue Mati, Massamba realizes the brutal consequences awaiting his daughter if she’s captured. He has no choice but to break his chains and set off on a desperate search for her. As a relentless hunt ensues in the island’s unforgiving jungle, the father and daughter forever break away from the colonial order. [98 min; drama, thriller; French and Wolof with English subtitles]
“An exhilarating, gripping, and genuinely heartfelt thriller.” — Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
"A vital memorial work that boldly reclaims dignity through masterful storytelling, immersive visuals, and a pulse-pounding score." — L'Humanité
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