1759, Mauritius Island, Indian Ocean. The island is controlled by French settlers and the deported slave population live in fear while toiling in the sugar cane plantations. Unlike her disillusioned father Massamba (Ibrahima Mbaye), 16-year-old Mati (Anna Diakhere Thiandoum) refuses to keep her head down and accept her fate. One night she flees from the plantation, hoping to escape violence and 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 La Victoire (Camille Cottin) and her sons to pursue Mati, Massamba realises the brutal consequences awaiting his daughter if she’s captured. He has no choice but to break his chains and set off on a desperate search for her. As a relentless hunt ensues in the island’s unforgiving jungle, the father and daughter forever break away from the colonial order.
Directed by
Simon Moutaïrou
Cast
Benoit Magimel, Camille Cottin, Anna Diakhere Thiandoum, Ibrahima Mbaye
CinemaTeaser
by Aurélien Allin Whether it’s the organic cinematography of Antoine Sanier, with its meticulously crafted naturalism, or the extraordinary, almost anachronistic music by Amine Bouhafa, Ni chaînes ni maîtres is first and foremost an audiovisual, sensory, and emotional experience, culminating in its stunning final scene—an overwhelming cinematic moment that visually portrays the unspeakable.
Ouest France
by Anne Augié A first feature with an epic breath.
Franceinfo Culture
by Falila Gbadamassi To a historical reality, Simon Moutaïrou injects an epic and philosophical dimension. This adds substance to a direction that blends action, thriller, and fantasy. The cast transports the audience, just like the breathtaking cinematography.
L’Humanité
by Pablo Patarin By plunging us into the hell of the plantations, Simon Moutaïrou delivers a particularly timely memorial film, where the protagonists struggle to reclaim their dignity in the face of the established order.
La Croix
by Corinne Renou-Nativel An ambitious and powerful debut film.
La Septième Obsession
by Xavier Leherpeur The debuting director imposes a staccato and exponential rhythm on his direction, which he masters to the end. The darkness and nihilism that run through his script, as well as his anxiety-inducing work on the frame, reach their apex in an operatic, tragic ending that, nevertheless, is not devoid of an unexpected form of hope.
Le Parisien
by Catherine Balle The work is carried by two remarkable actors (Ibrahima Mbaye Tchie and Anna Thiandoum), with Camille Cottin delivering an astonishing performance as a ruthless slave hunter.
Les Fiches du Cinéma
by Florent Boutet For his first film, Simon Moutaïrou delivers a poignant testimony on the scourge of slavery.
Voici
by Daniel Bois Just, powerful, and relevant.
Festivals and Awards
Deauville Festival Of American Cinema 2024
FESPACO. Burkina Faso, 2025. Section Diversités.
Festival de films francophones CINEMANIA. Canada, 2024. Les Premières.
Festa do Cinema Francês. Portugal, 2024. Antestreias.
Festival du film français d’Helvétie (FFFH) Suisse, 2024. Les grandes premières.
