A Prophet (2009) Un prophète (original title)

Director:

Jacques Audiard

Writers:

Thomas Bidegain (screenplay) and
Jacques Audiard (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 2009 (Belgium)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A young Arab man is sent to a French prison where he becomes a mafia kingpin.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Corsican | Muslim | Mafia | Arab

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 32 wins & 31 nominations

Cast

Tahar Rahim	...	Malik El Djebena
Niels Arestrup	...	César Luciani
Adel Bencherif	...	Ryad
Reda Kateb	...	Jordi
Hichem Yacoubi	...	Reyeb
Jean-Philippe Ricci	...	Vettori
Gilles Cohen	...	Prof
Pierre Leccia	...	Sampierro
Antoine Basler	...	Pilicci
Foued Nassah	...	Antaro
Jean-Emmanuel Pagni	...	Santi
Frédéric Graziani	...	Chef de détention
Leïla Bekhti	...	Djamila
Rabah Loucif	...	L'avocat de Malik
Slimane Dazi	...	Lattrache
Serge Onteniente	...	Le juge d'application des peines
Hervé Temime	...	Le procureur
Taha Lemaizi	...	Hassan
Mohamed Makhtoumi	...	Tarik
Karim Leklou	...	Musulman couloir
Farid Larbi	...	Musulman couloir
Doula Niang	...	Musulman couloir
Mamadou Minte	...	Latif
Guillaume Verdier	...	Michka
Mourad Frarema	...	Khalid
Zohra Benali	...	Mère Mohamed
Sabar Kabbouchi	...	Travailleur social
Eric Badoc	...	Travailleur social
François De Courcelle	...	Travailleur social
Nathanaël Maïni	...	Garde Sampierro
Charles Maestracci	...	Corse
Laurent Blanquet	...	Corse
Jean-Pierre Guinebert	...	Corse
Pascal Henault	...	Corse
Hakim Sid	...	Le chimique
Kamel Labroudi	...	Un auxi
Mustapha Benstiti	...	Caillera
Alain Raymond	...	Gardien fouille
Franck Xabrame	...	Maton cour d'honneur
Didier de Backer	...	Gardien fouille
Patrick Mochen	...	Gardien fouille
Gilles Bellomi	...	Gardien
Malaïc Mekeri	...	Belmont
Fadil Kadri	...	Policier enquête
David Dupays	...	Policier commissariat
Arsène Benziane	...	L'Ours
Kamel Ferrat	...	Chauffeur de Lattrache
Karim Traikia	...	Collègue Lattrache
Cindy Danel	...	Sophie
Abdelaziz Mahtou	...	Mohamed Gazil
Alexandre de Seze	...	Chef du centre d'appels
Kamel Saadi	...	Arabe
Slim El Hedli	...	Arabe
Farid Elouardi	...	Arabe
Veronica Ghio	...	La blonde de Marbella
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christophe Aquillon		(as Chris Aquilon)
Sonia Hell	...	Une matonne (uncredited)
Salem Kali	...	Prisonnier rebelle (uncredited)
Laurent Mendy	...	Le basketteur (uncredited)
Franck Pech	...	Gardien de prison (uncredited)
Alaa Safi	...	Prisonnier rebelle (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Audiard

Writing credits
Thomas Bidegain		(screenplay) and
Jacques Audiard		(screenplay)
Abdel Raouf Dafri		(original screenplay) and
Nicolas Peufaillit		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Lauranne Bourrachot	....	producer
Martine Cassinelli	....	producer
Pascal Caucheteux	....	producer
Marco Cherqui	....	producer
Antonin Dedet	....	line producer
Paolo Nino Cence	....	assistant producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Stéphane Fontaine		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Juliette Welfling

Casting by
Richard Rousseau

Production Design by
Michel Barthélémy

Art Direction by
Etienne Rohde

Set Decoration by
Boris Piot

Costume Design by
Virginie Montel

Makeup Department
Laurence Boulet	....	hair stylist
Alexandra Bredin	....	hair stylist
Pierre Chavialle	....	key hair stylist
Frédérique Ney	....	key makeup artist
Alice Robert	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Claire Langmann	....	unit production manager
Sandra Marinier	....	assistant production manager
Paolo Nino Cence	....	assistant production manager
Cyrille Pailles	....	assistant production manager
Thomas Philip	....	assistant unit manager
Alix Raynaud	....	co-production manager
Thibault Spiral	....	assistant unit manager
Augustin Werkoff	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Grivois	....	second unit director
Denis Kralj	....	second assistant director: locations
Julie Navarre	....	third assistant director
Serge Onteniente	....	first assistant director (as Serge Oteniente)
Boris Vassallo	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Matthieu Genin	....	set dresser
Karim Lagati	....	assistant property master
Pascal Leguellec	....	assistant art director
Lionel Mathis	....	assistant art director
Manuel Mougin	....	property master
Anne Pelosi	....	assistant art director
Thibaut Peschard	....	assistant set dresser
Boris Piot	....	set dresser
Xavière Protat	....	third assistant decorator
Geraldine Scaramela	....	assistant property master
Bruno Via	....	assistant art director
Bruno Vitti	....	propmaker

Sound Department
Edouard d'Heucqueville	....	sound mix technician
Marc Doisne	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dominique Eyraud	....	boom operator
Jean-Paul Hurier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michel Monier	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Florian Penot	....	assistant foley artist
Stephane Rabeau	....	sound editor
Caroline Reynaud	....	assistant sound editor
Cyrille Richard	....	assistant sound editor
Rafael Ridao	....	boom operator
Brigitte Taillandier	....	sound
Benjamin Viau	....	foley recordist
Francis Wargnier	....	sound editor
Marie Giustinati	....	synchro rushes (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sebastien Alagnon	....	special effects
Noel Chainbaux	....	special effects assistant
David Luce	....	special effects
Olivier Marais	....	special effects
Julien Poncet de la Grave	....	special effects supervisor
Olivier Robert	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Fabrice Fernandez	....	digital compositor
Vincent Frei	....	digital compositor
Sebastien Gombeaud-Saintonge	....	flame artist: Mac Guff Ligne Paris
Amélie Guyot	....	matchmover
Gaston Marcotti	....	digital artist
Benoit Philippon	....	digital compositor
Stephanie Saillard	....	digital compositor: Mac Guff
Guillaume Schmitter	....	I/O management: Mac Guff
Antonin Seydoux	....	compositor
Martial Vallanchon	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Laurent Alexandre	....	stunts
Malki Attar	....	stunts
Affif Ben Badra	....	stunts
Eddy Benguedih	....	stunts
Serge Beuchat	....	stunts
Delphine Boulay	....	stunt driver
Stéphane Boulay	....	stunt coordinator: car stunts
Damien Buffard	....	stunts
Gil Demurger	....	stunts
Jean-Jacques Desplanque	....	stunts
Malik Diouf	....	stunts
Jean-Jacques Domingues	....	stunt driver
Mohamed Elachi	....	stunts (as Mohamed El Achi)
Eric Etje	....	stunts
Pascal Garnier	....	stunt driver
Christian Hening	....	stunts
Mouloud Ikhaddelene	....	stunts
Gregory Loffredo	....	stunts
Philippe Morel	....	stunts
Laurent Mulot	....	stunt driver
Christophe Roblin	....	stunt driver
Alaa Safi	....	stunts (as Alaa Oumouzoune)
Olivier Schneider	....	stunt coordinator
Michaël Troude	....	stunts
Sebastien Vandenberghe	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Arpajou	....	still photographer
Xavier Cholet	....	gaffer
Thomas Collignon	....	first assistant camera
Aurélien Dubois	....	second assistant camera
Camille Durin	....	apprentice camera
François Gallet	....	second assistant camera
Antonin Gendre	....	key grip
Guillaume Gouas	....	electrician
Mathieu Le Bothlan	....	first assistant camera
Gregory Pagnier	....	second assistant camera
Ludovic Petit	....	electrician
Sébastien Plessis	....	electrician
Luc Reyrolle	....	electrician
Marie Spencer	....	camera operator: second camera

Casting Department
Geneviève Acien	....	extras casting
Julie Gouet	....	casting assistant
Julien Grossi	....	casting: Marseille
Sylvie Peyre	....	casting assistant
Michael Taupin	....	casting: Marseille

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elfie Carlier	....	costumer
Ariane Daurat	....	wardrobe
Olivia Lahougue	....	wardrobe supervisor
Isabelle Pannetier	....	costume supervisor
Paulette Ribot	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Lionel Cassan	....	assistant editor
Ornella Del-Vecchio	....	digital conformation
Sophia Del-Vecchio	....	digital conformation
Isabelle Julien	....	colorist
Frederic Jupin	....	digital conformation
Margot Meynier	....	assistant editor
Sarah Zaanoun	....	trainee editor

Music Department
Jean-Pascal Beintus	....	orchestrator
Alexandre Desplat	....	musician: piano
Andrew Dudman	....	score mixing engineer
Andrew Dudman	....	score recording engineer
Xavier Forcioli	....	music programmer
Xavier Forcioli	....	music: production
Thomas Jamois	....	soundtrack coordinator
Frédéric Junqua	....	music supervisor
Philippe Mace	....	musician: percussion
Sylvain Morizet	....	additional orchestrator
Vincent Segal	....	musician: electric violincello

Other crew
Lysiane Biagini	....	location scout
Stéphane Boulay	....	travelling car
Xavier Forcioli	....	programmer
Philippe Groff	....	location scout
Christophe Jarosz	....	assistant location manager
Marc Leroyer	....	weapons coordinator
Christelle Meaux	....	assistant supervisor
Natasha Mehler	....	producer: second unit
Rolland Nicolas	....	production assistant
Antonin Peretjatko	....	making-of director
Guillaume Plumejeau	....	location scout

Production Companies

• Why Not Productions (co-production)
• Chic Films (co-production)
• Page 114 (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (co-production)
• BIM Distribuzione (co-production)
• Celluloid Dreams (co-production)
• France 2 (FR2) (with the participation of)
• Canal+ (with the participation of)
• CinéCinéma (with the participation of)
• Région Ile-de-France (with the support of)
• Conseil Régional de Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur (with the support of)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (with the support of)
• Sofica UGC 1 (in association with)
• Sofica Soficinéma 4 (in association with)
• Soficinéma 5 (in association with)
• Neon Productions (production services)

Distributors

• ABC Distribution (2009) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• First Distributors (2009) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2010) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Spring Has Come (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Syrena Films (2010) (Poland) (theatrical)
• UGC Distribution (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Volga (2009) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Productions (2010) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (2010) (Spain) (all media)
• Atalanta Filmes (2009) (Portugal) (all media)
• BIM Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• CatchPlay (2010) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Celluloid Dreams (2009) (worldwide) (all media)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Homescreen (2010) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kam & Ronson Enterprise Co (2010) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Kam & Ronson Enterprise Co (2010) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Media International Pictures (2010) (United Arab Emirates) (all media)
• Pancinema (2010) (Korea) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• UGC Video (2010) (France) (DVD) (also Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Duran Duboi
• Mac Guff Ligne (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Demeter Films  second unit production
• Technicolor  release printing

Also Known As:

"Un prophète" - France (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity, language and drug material

Runtime:

155 min | France:150 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | Arabic | Corsican

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45559) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:16 | UK:18 | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 | France:12 | South Korea:18 | Germany:16 | Canada:16+ (Québec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:MA | Hong Kong:III | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Austria:10 | Brazil:18

Filming Locations:

Avenue Montaigne, Paris 8, Paris, France

Company:

Why Not Productions

Trivia:

The director met Tahar Rahim, who plays Malik, when they shared an automobile ride from another film set. Niels Arestrup, who plays the terrifying Corsican crime lord, was also a villain in Jacques Audiard's previous film.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Prisoner:Take these handcuffs off!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Cop Out/The Crazies/A Prophet (#2.8)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Bridging the Gap

Watch the Renaissance of French Cinema - a Must-See

One of the biggest surprises of 2009, Jacques Audiard's 'Un Prophète' is the best French film in a decade, garnering strong critical and word-of-mouth support and winning the Grand Prix in Cannes (which for years now means that it's the actual festival winner). The surprise is that the story is far from being original: a young Arab sentenced to (adult) prison for the first time is forced by a Corsican mafia boss running the strings there to do his bidding. By and by, he manages to use his underling position to his own advantage. So it's a typical hard-boiled underdog story - what makes it so great then?

'Un Prophète' doesn't differ much in style from the French films of late, which were often so hell-bent on displaying life as a gritty and boring affair, and resorted to radical violence to underscore this point, that spectators were almost forced to feel disgusted, which was then claimed to be a denominator of the film's artistic success. This phenomenon has been called 'New French Extremity'. What Jacques Audiard has done is to combine the aesthetics of this trend with the traditions which once made the French film industry the most power- and meaningful in Europe, namely to focus on the relationship of the leading actors. The result is a film that is totally engaging from the first minute, because it entrusts the actors with the task of transforming the script into something of their own making.

And boy oh boy, Tahar Rahim does that job. A newcomer with a little bit of TV experience, his performance carries 'Un Prophète' with amazing vigor. It's a big chance, and he takes it. Would this be an English-language film, he'd be a surefire contender for the awards. His nemesis is portrayed by Niels Arestrup in an equally flawless, yet much more routinized way, which juxtaposes the two characters perfectly. Add to this the sophisticated editing already present in Audiard's last film 'De battre mon coeur s'est arreté' (2005), and you have the best European film of 2009, in spite of a story that you will most likely have seen dozens of times already.

If you usually don't like European movies, or if you have only time to see one a year, watch this one - you won't regret it.