Ni chaînes, Ni Maîtres (No Chains, No Masters)
In 1759, the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean is under French colonial rule. The enslaved population working in the sugar plantation live in constant fear. Among them, 16-year old Mati refuses to accept her fate. Unlike her father Massamba, who has grown disillusioned by years of oppression, Mati dreams of freedom and a life beyond the plantation. One night, desperate to flee the violence of her captors, Mati finds refuge in a remote part of the island rumored to be home to a community of runaway slaves. Her escape triggers a ruthless pursuit. The plantation owner hires the merciless slave owner Madame La Victoire and her sons to track her down. Massamba realizes the brutal consequences awaiting his daughter if she gets captured. He has no choice but to break free from his chains and embark on a perilous journey through the island’s dense jungle to find her. The father and daughter’s journey becomes a desperate fight for survival and a final, irreversible break from the colonial system that has defined their lives.
Slavery was abolished in France in 1794 but persisted in the colonies until 1848. Fictional account based on real historical characters such as Madame La Victoire and the historical reality of fugitive slaves (maroons) hiding in secret colonies.
Director: Simon Moutaïrou
Distributor: Distrib Films US
Genre: Drama, History
Languages: French, Wolof
Run time: 1h 38min
Countries: France
This Film Festival is generously funded by a grant from the Albertine Cinémathèque, which
is part of the French for All initiative by Villa Albertine (the French Institute for Culture and
Education, a division of the French Embassy in the US) and Albertine Foundation and is
made possible by the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée
(CNC).
COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
Art Theater of Long Beach
Alliance Française of Newport Beach
