After refusing to snitch, 19-year old Arab Malik El Djebena is thrown into a French prison, where the Corsican mafia rules the roost. Malik is forced to murder another inmate, after which he enjoys the protection of the Corsican network.
How he balances his relationship with the prison mafia, his dealings with the other muslim inmates, and his own need to develop schemes that can help him survive and prosper make for a great film.
It could have been otherwise; many familiar themes (gang rivalry, double-crossings, smuggling) make up the story, but they're served up with an edge that makes the film very different from other prison dramas.
For example, when Malik gets involved in an assassination inside an SUV, the shots make him go deaf for some time after. How often do crime movies remember to show that unavoidable effect?
The name of the movie comes from a vision Malik has, predicting some incidental event mid-way through.
It's a powerful story, brilliantly told.
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