Simon Moutaïrou on Telling the Story of French Colonial Slaves in ‘No Chains, No Masters: ‘It Was Important to Be as Close to the Truth as Possible’ (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comElsa Keslassy International Correspondent Simon Moutaïrou, the critically acclaimed screenwriter behind the spy thriller hit “Black Box,” has partnered with some of France’s biggest players — leading producer Chi-Fou-Mi (“November,” “All Your Faces”) and Studiocanal — on his ambitious directorial debut, “No Chains, No Masters.” Now in post, “No Chains, No Masters,” is an epic movie inspired by historical accounts of former slaves in West Africa, nicknamed Maroons, who emancipated themselves from French settlements.
Set in 1759, in the French colony of Mauritius Island, “No Chains, No Masters” is an epic historical drama following a father, Massamba (Ibrahima Mbaye Thié), and his fierce teenage daughter Mati (Anna Thiandoum) who defy all odds to survive a manhunt across the jungle and emancipate themselves from the hell of a colonial plantation.
The story revolves around Mati, who refuses to accept her fate and flees from the plantation, hoping to 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 de la Victoire (Camille Cottin) and her sons to pursue Mati, Massamba has no choice but to break his chains and set off on a desperate search for her.
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