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Witness History: La Haine: The film that shocked France

05/12/23

La Haine: The film that shocked France

BBC World Service - Witness History, La Haine: The film that shocked France

How Mathieu Kassovitz's critique of policing shocked French society

It has been 30 years since film director Mathieu Kassovitz started work on the cult cinema classic, La Haine. He has been sharing his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.

In 1993, film director Mathieu Kassovitz started work on what would become a cult cinema classic, La Haine. 

La Haine would follow three friends from a poor immigrant neighbourhood in the Paris suburbs 24 hours after a riot. 

The film was released in 1995 to huge critical acclaim and Mathieu won best director at the Cannes Film Festival. 

It was heavily critical of policing in France and it caught the attention of high profile politicians in the country, including then Prime Minister, Alain Juppé. 

Thirty years on, Mathieu has been sharing his memories of that time with Matt Pintus. 

(Photo: Vincent Cassel "Vinz" in La Haine. Credit: Studio Canal+)

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