"The word is here, and shall be spoken"

So heralds the arrival of Roman (Koné Bakary) at the Ivory Coast's notorious MACA penitentiary, as a red moon rises and inmates conspire to topple the prison's unofficial 'king' Blackbeard (Steve Tientcheu). Roman is charged with entertaining the king, and just like Scheherezade he discovers that he must sustain his tale through the night if he wishes to survive until dawn. Night of the Kings is a prison movie with a difference, strongly rooted in Ivorian storytelling tradition and an allegory for the country's turbulent recent past. As a child, director Philippe Lacôte visited his own mother at MACA and his personal investment shines through every frame, the film giving vivid life to the jail's crumbling maze and the jungle beyond.

This film is only available to viewers in the UK and Northern Ireland.