The musical “La Haine” made its debut at the Seine Musicale, after three years of work. The show adapted from the eponymous film by its director Mathieu Kassovitz, almost 30 years after its theatrical release, is a success.
A punchy show. In development for almost three years, “La Haine – So far nothing has changed”, adapted from the film “La Haine”, has taken over the Seine Musicale. Thirty years after directing the feature film which has become cult – released in 1995 with the prize for directing at the Cannes festival, and three Césars the following year including that for best French film – Mathieu Kassovitz, 57 years old, a sign of a successful stage adaptation, both artistic and committed.
In settings combining very cinematic and ultra-realistic visual projections, a turntable and clever box games, Alexander Ferrario, who filmed with JoeyStarr in the series “The Substitute”, Samy Belkessa, seen at the cinema in “Anti-Squat”, and the rapper Alivor succeeds without merit Vincent Cassel, Saïd Taghmaouï and Hubert Koundé in the title roles of Vinz, Saïd and Hubert, young suburbanites confronted with police violence.
Three young people who we follow the day after riots between police and young people from a city, after the beating by a police officer of Abdel Ichaha, finding themselves between life and death.
A complete show
Faithful to the original scenario, to which are added several references to current events, this ambitious show transposes the feature film into around ten scenes carried by captivating hip hop choreographies and a high-flying soundtrack, interspersed with narrative sequences which do not exclude humor, as well as cult moments from the film, reinterpreted for the occasion, like the memorable scene of Vincent Cassel in front of his mirror.
But more than a simple adaptation, Mathieu Kassovitz’s show, which also features an appearance on stage, is anchored in ever-burning current affairs and makes it a musical with a pacifist message.
Under the leadership of Proof, musical director of the show, the show is structured around ten rap, electro and even jazzy tracks, signed by big names in hip-hop, from Akhenaton to Oxmo Puccino via Youssoupha or the rapper Doria, but also Matthieu Chédid, Angelique Kidjo, Chico des Gipsy and the composer and pianist Sofiane Pamart.
So many pieces that address a wide range of themes: police blunders, the desire for revenge, the feeling of abandonment and anger, including the desire to build a future and the choices to make, through the title “ The dilemma”, a love song giving rise to one of the many beautiful scenes in this show, or a piece which gives voice to a police officer, by Youssoupha, up to the poignant finale and the title “L’4mour » to the pacifist message written by Medine. “It will never be us against them (…) we have to break the narrative so that everyone can come to their senses (…) we will all end up being “killed” so I have only one thing to say: Love”, launches the rapper Alivor on stage in this final title, which offers an intelligent end point to this total show.
Because “No one here grows thanks to hatred”, recalls the musical, greeted on Sunday October 13 with a standing ovation.
On display at the Seine Musicale until January 5, “La Haine – So far nothing has changed” will go on tour across France immediately.
“La Haine – so far nothing has changed”, until October 20 and from November 27 until January 5, at the Seine musicale, Boulogne Billancourt. On tour for a few dates in November in Marseille and Lyon and from January 2025 across France.
