Ma 6-T va crack-er

Sixteen-year-old Arco, Malik and Mustapha are known on the housing project as “Devils.” With little parental support and failing in school, they spend their time hanging out together, or working off the steam by fighting with other kids of the ghetto-like “cités.” Djeff, J-M, Hamouda and Pete are older; all between 20 and 26 and unemployed. During the eagerly awaited hip-hop party there is a shoot-out in the night-club parking lot. When the police wade in, all hell breaks loose and the suburb revolts. Malik dies. A riot has begun.

At the time it was released, the film was accused to encourage riots and violence in the suburbs: a way to deny or minimize its realism, its vision of the suburban housing projects, and its political commitment.

From the director of “Assault On Precinct 13” and “Mesrine.”

“An important part of the film is its musical structure; it’s the structure of hip-hop. Hip-hop turns in loops and the kids go round in circles : there’s been breakdancing, “graf”, rap etc… Rap is an urban music which one can almost say is without beginning or end. It’s really important in the film : within each scene, the editing was often based on the music. It’s jumpy : I often cut on the snare drum beat, or on the bass drum. The music doesn’t change the sense of the narrative, but I didn’t hesitate to add or cut a few frames to be in synch with it." –Jean-François Richet