{{Short description|French filmmaker (born 1980)}} {{Expand language|topic=bio|langcode=fr|date=August 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Ladj Ly | image = Ladj Ly en 2019.jpg | caption = Ly in 2019 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1980|03|19}} | occupation = Film director{{Clear}}Screenwriter | notable_works = ''[[Les Misérables (2019 film)|Les Misérables]]'' }}
'''Ladj Ly''' ({{IPA|fr|ladʒ li}}; born 19 March 1980 in Paris) is a French film director and screenwriter. Most known for his 2019's ''[[Les Misérables (2019 film)|Les Misérables]]'', which won the [[Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)|Jury Prize]] at the [[2019 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]] an was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Film]].<ref>{{cite news |date=28 November 2019 |title=Les Miserables review |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/28/movies/les-miserables-review.html |access-date=13 January 2020 |agency=The New York Times}}</ref>
==Biography== Ly's parents are from [[Mali]] and he grew up in [[Montfermeil]], a district of Bosquets. He started making films with his friends [[Kim Chapiron]], [[Romain Gavras]], and [[JR (artist)|JR]], in the collective Kourtrajmé.<ref name="Sterlé 2019">{{cite web | title=Montfermeil : Ladj Ly dans la cour des grands, à Cannes ! | website=leparisien.fr | date=19 April 2019 | url=https://www.leparisien.fr/seine-saint-denis-93/montfermeil-ladj-ly-dans-la-cour-des-grands-a-cannes-19-04-2019-8056881.php | language=fr | access-date=16 May 2019 | last=Sterlé | first=Carole}}</ref>
He directed his first films, notably for [[Oxmo Puccino]], and his first documentaries, ''{{interlanguage link|365 jours à Clichy-Montfermeil|fr}}'' (''365 days in Clichy-Montfermeil''), filmed after the [[2005 French riots]]; ''Go Fast Connexion''; and ''365 jours au Mali'' (''365 days in Mali'').
In 2011, Ly was given a three-year prison sentence for [[kidnapping]] and [[false imprisonment]].<ref name="AFP 2011">{{cite web | title=Amad Ly, ex 'porte-parole' des quartiers, condamné à 5 ans de prison | publisher=[[Agence France-Presse]] | via=paris.maville.com | date=2 March 2011 | url=https://paris.maville.com/actu/actudet_-Amad-Ly-ex-porte-parole-des-quartiers-condamne-a-5-ans-de-prison_-1713018_actu.Htm | language=fr | access-date=21 August 2020}}</ref><ref name="Korda 2019">{{cite web | title=Ladj Ly, réalisateur des "Misérables", condamné à la prison : trois questions sur la polémique | website=leparisien.fr | date=19 December 2019 | url=https://www.leparisien.fr/culture-loisirs/ladj-ly-realisateur-des-miserables-condamne-a-la-prison-trois-questions-sur-la-polemique-19-12-2019-8221125.php | language=fr | access-date=21 August 2020 | last=Korda | first=Robin}}</ref> In 2012, the sentence was reduced on appeal to two years imprisonment, and one year suspended sentence.<ref name="Mathiot Leboucq 2019">{{cite web | last=Mathiot | first=Cédric | last2=Leboucq | first2=Fabien | title=Ladj Ly a-t-il fait de la prison pour tentative de meurtre, comme l'écrivent "Causeur" et "Valeurs actuelles" ? | website=Libération.fr | date=18 December 2019 | url=https://www.liberation.fr/checknews/2019/12/18/ladj-ly-a-t-il-fait-de-la-prison-pour-tentative-de-meurtre-comme-l-ecrivent-causeur-et-valeurs-actue_1769863 | language=fr | access-date=21 August 2020}}</ref>
''Les Misérables'' (2017) is the first non-documentary film he directed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Interview with Ladj Ly |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/01/les-miserables-ladj-ly-interview-1202201131/ |access-date=13 January 2020 |agency=Indiewire |date=1 January 2020}}</ref> The short film received many awards, notably at the [[Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival]] and a nomination for the [[César Award for Best Short Film]] in 2018. In the same year, he was nominated for the [[César Award for Best Documentary Film]] for ''{{interlanguage link|À voix haute : La Force de la parole|fr}}'' with {{interlanguage link|Stéphane de Freitas|fr}}.<ref name="Kaganski 2017">{{cite web|language=fr|author=Kaganski, Serge|url=https://www.lesinrocks.com/cinema/films-a-l-affiche/voix-haute-la-force-de-la-parole/|title=À voix haute. La force de la parole|website=Les Inrockuptibles|date=2017-04-07|access-date=2019-05-16|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001163922/https://www.lesinrocks.com/cinema/films-a-l-affiche/voix-haute-la-force-de-la-parole/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Sterlé 2017">{{cite web|language=fr|author=Sterlé, Carole|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/montfermeil-93370/montfermeil-les-miserables-de-ladj-ly-prime-a-clermont-ferrand-13-02-2017-6678507.php|title=Montfermeil : « ''Les Misérables'' de Ladj Ly, primé à Clermont-Ferrand|website=Le Parisien|date=2017-02-17|access-date=2019-05-16}}</ref><ref name="francetvinfo.fr 2018">{{cite web|language=fr|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/cinema/ladj-ly-porte-la-voix-des-banlieues-aux-cesar_3385757.html|title=Ladj Ly porte la voix des banlieues aux César|website=francetvinfo.fr|date=2018-03-01|access-date=2019-05-16}}</ref>
In 2018 in Montfermeil, Ly created a free [[film school]], called "L'école Kourtrajmé".<ref name="film school">{{cite web|language=fr|author=Sterlé, Carole|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/seine-saint-denis-93/clichy-montfermeil-le-cineaste-ladj-ly-forme-la-releve-25-09-2018-7902210.php|title=Clichy - Montfermeil : le cinéaste Ladj Ly forme la relève|website=Le Parisien|date=2018-09-25|access-date=2019-05-16}}</ref>
His 2019's ''[[Les Misérables (2019 film)|Les Misérables]]'' is an expansion of his short film of same name, the film had its world premiere at the main competition of the [[2019 Cannes Film Festival]], where it won the [[Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)|Jury Prize]]. Alongside [[Alexis Manenti]] and Giordano Gederlini, he won the [[Lumière Award for Best Screenplay]],<ref name=lumieres>Scott Roxborough, [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2020-lumieres-award-winners-les-miserables-wins-frances-top-prize-1272628/best-director-166/ "France’s Lumiere Awards: ‘Les Misérables’ Wins Best Film, Roman Polanski Tapped as Best Director"]. ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', 27 January 2020.</ref> and was nominated for the [[César Award for Best Original Screenplay]]<ref name=cesar>Melanie Goodfellow, [https://www.screendaily.com/news/cesar-awards-les-miserables-wins-best-film-polanski-takes-best-director/5147739.article "César awards: ‘Les Miserables’ wins best film, Polanski takes best director"]. ''[[Screen Daily]]'', 28 February 2020.</ref> and the [[European Film Award for Best Screenwriter]].<ref>Nancy Tartaglione, [https://deadline.com/2019/11/european-film-awards-2019-nominations-roman-polanski-pedro-almodovar-full-list-1202782005/ "European Film Awards Nominations: Polanski’s ‘An Officer And A Spy’, Almodovar’s ‘Pain And Glory’, Bellocchio’s ‘Traitor’ Lead"]. ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'', 9 November 2019.</ref> The film also won the [[César Award for Best Film]].
His second feature film, ''[[Les Indésirables]]'', premiered at the [[2023 Toronto International Film Festival]] on September 8, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodfellow |first=Melanie |date=2023-07-05 |title=Ladj Ly's 'Les Indésirables' To World Premiere At Toronto; Festival Says Paris Outer-City Suburb Drama Is “Timely Tale Of Revolution” |url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/ladj-lys-les-indesirables-world-premiere-toronto-1235430167/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>
in 2025, he will direct a biopic about [[Thomas Alexandre Dumas]] titled ''Dumas - Black Devil''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keslassy |first1=Elsa |title=Ladj Ly's 'Dumas: Black Devil' Sets All-Star French Cast: Omar Sy, Vincent Cassel, François Civil, Theo Christine to Headline Epic Adventure Film (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/global/ladj-ly-dumas-black-devil-omar-sy-vincent-cassel-chapter-2-1236386695/ |website=Variety |date=5 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dumas - Black Devil: the epic story of France's first black general |url=https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-do-in-paris/cinema-series/articles/320832-dumas-black-devil-the-fate-of-the-general-who-inspired-alexandre-dumas |website=www.sortiraparis.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
=== Feature films === {| class="wikitable" !Year !English Title !Original Title !Notes |- !2019 | colspan="2" |''[[Les Misérables (2019 film)|Les Misérables]]'' | |- !2023 |''[[Les Indésirables]]'' |''Bâtiment 5'' | |- !2026 |''Dumas: Black Devil'' |''Dumas - Diable'' ''Noir'' |Post-production |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|nm1868177}} *{{Allocine name}}
{{Lumière Award for Best Screenplay}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ly, Ladj}} [[Category:French people of Malian descent]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1978 births]] [[Category:French film directors]] [[Category:French screenwriters]] [[Category:People from Montfermeil]] [[Category:Best Screenplay Lumière Award winners]] [[Category:Directors of European Discovery European Film Award winners]] [[Category:Directors of Best Film César Award winners]]