Original subtitles

The MACA prison is a world with its own codes and laws.

The first law is that the Dangôro, the supreme master, rules the prisoners.

When the Dangôro falls ill

and can no longer govern,

he must take his own life.

IVORY COAST MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

NIGHT OF THE KINGS

- Old man Nivaquine! - What's the word?

Welcome to MACA, five-star prison!

Better watch your ass!

We'll see what our bosses decide.

If you keep disrespecting me, Lass,

you'll lose your protection.

You'll go from hyena to lamb,

and everyone will want a bite of you.

What are you saying?

If you lose my protection, you'll be just another lackey.

Me, Lass, a lackey?

You're asking for a war.

Is that a threat?

Open your eyes, Blackbeard.

And take a look around, you're not in charge anymore.

Shut up!

We'll be back later.

My children...

I'm naming a new Roman, a new storyteller.

And why is that, Lord Blackbeard?

Tonight or tomorrow, the red moon will come out.

It must first be confirmed by Lookout.

That old warthog will never die!

Chief! Please!

ZAMA: END OF A LEGEND

WAR AGAINST THE MICROBES

Press your thumb here.

Did you and your Microbe friends do that?

Speak!

Up!

Up! Get up!

Nivaquine!

It's OK.

Take this thing out to the jungle.

I'm sorry, chief!

What building?

- Who's there? - Half-Mad.

What do you want?

Blackbeard sent me.

He wants the new inmate in his building.

Back to your cell!

OK, take him.

Sexy!

Hey, the little lady is here!

"Guantanamo"!

Sexy!

Come here, Sexy!

Come here, Sexy!

Let's go! He doesn't know what's coming!

He'll soon see.

Enough!

This your first time here?

Open your mouth and speak!

How are things out there?

Tell me.

We're fucking talking to you!

Tell me a story.

"Once upon a time..."

Spit it out!

What, you don't have a story to tell?

Yes, but...

Just talk about whatever comes to mind.

Speak!

It's a dream I had.

In my dream,

me and three friends were on a boat in the middle of the ocean.

We hadn't eaten in days. We were running out of water.

Lackeys!

Yeah?

He's the one.

Our storyteller, Roman.

Roman!

You hungry?

Look at him eat!

Starving!

You thirsty?

From now on, you're Roman,

the prince without a kingdom.

When the red moon comes out tonight or tomorrow, you'll tell us stories.

Understood?

I've never... I don't know how to tell stories.

He thinks he has a choice.

See the staircase over there?

Go up it,

there's an iron hook at the top.

Trust me,

you don't want to end up there.

Take your role as storyteller seriously.

It's important to us.

Thank you, Dangôro.

Thank you very much.

Relax, buddy!

I'm Razor Blade.

Where are you from?

Before I came to MACA, I was on the streets.

I was fearless,

but not reproachless.

Before I was a street kid,

I worked on a cocoa plantation near Tiassalé.

I'd go out into the field

and chase mice and birds in the bush.

And before all that, I was in my mom's belly.

Before that, I was in the wind, maybe.

Maybe I was in the water.

Maybe a snake.

We're always something, like a snake,

a tree or an ox,

before being in our mom's belly.

Bastards!

What's this whole storyteller thing?

Why was I chosen?

Lookout, what do you see?

Is it tonight or tomorrow?

I see the sky.

It's becoming...

I see red.

Red!

It's red! It's the red moon!

Koby...

Lookout confirmed it.

Now no one can dispute the "Night of Roman".

Here.

Get everything ready.

Go see the cooks.

And tell Petrol to light his lamps.

I have no choice.

It'll buy me a few days. A week, maybe.

And then?

I don't know.

That Lass...

I don't want to see him again.

I'll blindside him.

When your world is built of golden walls, you don't chase after dreams.

Can't you convince the Rascal Bosses to give me a bit more time?

Impossible.

It's the law of the MACA.

Then I'll climb down and submerge myself in the water.

My spirit will become a doe,

and I'll roam the forest around the prison.

You,

a doe?

Blackbeard has opened the sleeping scorpion's box.

You get it now?

He can give us all the storytellers he wants, but the end is near.

Koby is his weak spot.

He's mocking us.

He's sick. He's gotta die.

He has to get it through his head.

I'll build a desert around him.

Oh yeah? How?

I'll go after what he holds dearest.

That's right.

When he abdicates, the prison should be managed more rationally.

The prisoners have to stop being our slaves...

and become our customers.

- It's all about the cash, boys. - That's good.

Who's with me?

Well said, Lass!

THE RED MOON IS OUT

My parents think you're still with me

No one knows you've left me for her...

The red moon is out tonight.

Blackbeard found another trick to stay the Dangôro.

He's sick. He can't be the Dangôro anymore.

He has to die.

It's the "Night of Roman".

It's the "Night of Roman".

Who's that?

Silence. He's half-cracked.

He understands when he wants to.

The kid

is a Microbe, isn't he?

Apparently, he hangs out with them.

They're all from the Lawless Quarter.

Here.

It'll make you feel better.

What is it?

- The kid from before... - It's the red moon!

What about him?

Blackbeard will choose him as storyteller.

Are you kidding me?

For years,

you hear nothing of the "Night of Roman".

Then boom! They're in a trance all night long.

And there's nothing you can do.

MACA belongs to them.

They have to shed blood.

If it was up to me,

I'd have cleaned up this prison years ago,

starting with Blackbeard.

Yes, chief.

Yes, we're safe.

Yes.

Yes.

We'll sound the alarm.

What did he say?

What can he say?

The MACA is the only prison in the world

run by an inmate.

Roman! Roman! Roman!

Nivaquine, are you the one who sounded the alarm?

All hell's gonna break loose.

If they kill each other, that's fine by us.

Roman,

let's go.

People of MACA!

A bad son is still a son.

Yeah.

There's nothing more despicable than an innocent man in prison.

Everyone on this floor is guilty.

No one danced their way in here.

Inmates!

Yeah!

The moon has spoken.

It's red.

Our master, Blackbeard, has given us a treat.

He has chosen a new storyteller.

What story will he tell?

How will his words be tinged?

With hope or sadness?

Will they be bitter

or sweet?

The word is here

The word is here and shall be spoken

Speak, Roman. We're listening.

Go on, speak!

Let him speak.

If God says you'll be a thief,

you'll be a thief.

If God says you'll be a murderer,

you'll be a murderer.

If God says I am Roman,

and I must tell stories all night long,

then I am Roman.

If God says yes,

no one can say...

No!

Before God,

I confess that I'm a pickpocket.

A swindler.

A shyster.

That's right!

A scoundrel.

A real thief, even.

I grew up with my aunt Salimata,

a traditional griot.

Every Sunday,

I'd accompany her to weddings,

where she sung the praises of the rich.

Go on, storyteller.

She used the money she earned to build a house in the Lawless Quarter.

So what?

At 6 years old,

I started going to public school.

I remember the principal, Mr. Kablan, only had one arm.

One-armed!

I was in that school until I was 12.

What do we care? This is bullshit.

I went to school with Zama King.

Zama King! Zama King!

I stand before all you prisoners like a boat tied to the dock.

This is no game.

We're talking about a champion.

The one and only Zama King, TM.

They called him the son of the wind.

The black knight of the Lawless Quarter.

I'm telling you.

They captured his spirit,

stripped away his purpose, extinguished his soul.

Otherwise, hey!

In a face-to-face battle, man,

he was invincible, no doubt.

His mystical powers were too strong.

His amulets were powerful.

It's the truth.

I was there!

Liar! You were in here with us.

Zama King...

was a withdrawn child.

He stuttered.

His real name is Zama.

After his first crime, he added the "King".

The Zama I'm telling you about,

I've known him since childhood.

We grew up together in the Lawless Quarter,

on the Paradise side.

He lived in a communal yard with a big mango tree.

Did you know that Zama King was the head of the Microbes?

Do you know how he died?

That his death was filmed?

Zama!

It happened yesterday, around 5:00 p.m.

I was with Zama, Rocky and Baldwin.

Zama was wanted by the police and by the people.

Because of all his crimes.

He had become completely paranoid.

He saw spirits everywhere.

We were going to get smokes at the Mauritanian's shop.

That's when they spotted us.

Zama King, murderer!

- You know her? - This isn't our territory.

Murderer, Zama King!

Zama King, murderer! You're a murderer!

Murderer!

It's him.

After that,

the police searched the area.

The albino girl told them there were four of us.

They found me in a hole on the banks of the lagoon.

Now here I am before you.

What's up,

brothers?

It's a feast!

Enjoy!

Long live Blackbeard!

This Roman is a good storyteller.

Well, yeah.

He was raised by a griot.

But he'll see when it's over.

This Roman is a good storyteller.

But does he know what he's got coming?

Sexy,

come here.

We're gonna kill Koby.

How's it going, Roman?

Silence.

Want to know how much time you have left?

If you want a chance at survival, don't finish your story.

Remember, Roman!

Keep going until morning.

When I'm gone, don't give out my things.

Keep them.

Give them to my eldest son.

Tell him who I was,

how I got by.

Tell him to trust his instincts.

Make sure they don't drag my name through the mud.

After me, the MACA won't have a leader.

It'll descend into chaos.

Don't talk like that, Blackbeard.

It's bad luck.

Here, a gift from Blackbeard.

Why is he giving me this?

People of MACA.

Every man lies to himself

until he's faced with his own death.

Forgive me for rushing my story.

But I had to get it off my chest.

I had to tell you how Zama died.

My aunt Salimata, the griot,

always said that every story must have a beginning and an end.

True, true.

In my haste, I started at the end,

when Zama had become a furious scorpion.

But first, I should have told you how Zama...

Do you know where Zama grew up?

No!

Zama grew up in a small village

by the Atlantic Ocean.

Back then, in that part

of Ivory Coast,

there were still kings and queens.

It's true.

Sovereigns fought each other to expand their kingdoms.

Hey!

What about his father?

Who's his father?

His father's name

is Soni.

He's an old beggar,

a blind man.

Every day, he sits in the same spot,

in front of the mosque next to the Plaza Cinema.

And his mother?

Who's his mother?

Where did he knock her up?

His mother's name was Hélène.

And that's how Soni was left alone

with his son.

That's how Zama lost his mother.

Zama, Zama,

Zama!

The child with his father

It's Zama

His mother, Hélène, was killed by the soldiers

The queen's soldiers

There's a man here.

A blind man.

I have something to say.

Let him speak.

Your Majesty, I can help you win this war.

I have powers, many powers.

I can talk to the sun, the stars and the moon.

I can talk to horses too.

I can help you.

He tells the queen

He speaks the language of horses

Soni, are you sure you know what you're doing?

What fate lies ahead for Zama?

What fate lies ahead for the boy with no mother?

Koby,

you're handsome,

you're strong.

Where are you from?

I was born on the mountain.

This...

My father buried it at the top of the mountain.

People of MACA!

Months

and years

pass.

Soni, Zama's father,

becomes the queen's confidant.

A large battle is underway,

and Soni has to defeat the enemy army.

Koby?

Young Koby

Two metres

Muscles like this

Feet like this

But a heart like this

Here lies Koby

We've been calling him

But he doesn't answer

Dangôro,

want us to make her confess?

And Roman?

He has to keep telling his story.

Have him come to my cell first.

OK.

He just had an attack.

It's too bad about Koby,

but we've got it under control.

Say the word, just lift your finger,

and I'll raise an army.

It'll be easy to turn them against Lass.

I've always been straight with you, Blackbeard.

I always ran the game how you wanted

so the lackeys wouldn't rebel.

I know all their deepest desires.

Name me as your successor.

I'll never let you down.

Ever.

Come.

Come closer. Don't be scared.

Look at me.

Money can buy anything.

But you can't pay someone to be sick in your place.

Sometimes,

I wonder if they forgot us out here in this forest.

Tell me. I want to know.

Why did you choose the story of Zama King?

I didn't choose.

It just came to me.

I thought maybe there was another reason.

Help me get changed.

It's my turn to tell you a story.

Do you know why they call me Blackbeard?

It's been my nickname ever since I was a teenager.

I lived on an island of fishermen, Sibiza.

I went to steal some fish.

I must have been about your age.

The fishermen dug a hole.

They buried me on the beach with just my head sticking out,

like the pirate.

My real name is Blaise.

Now...

can I ask you a question?

Go ahead.

You're sick. You're on your last legs.

Why not put an end to this storytelling game?

It's not a game.

It's an old MACA tradition.

Only I can call off the "Night of Roman".

But I won't do it.

Why?

I want to spill blood one last time.

And the second I saw you,

I knew you had to be condemned.

You look like someone who should be condemned.

It's a gut feeling.

I can't fight it.

Those feelings are real,

even if they're unfair.

He's completely crazy.

Roman...

Roman!

You don't fucking answer when I call?

- Yes. - Yes, who?

Yes, Half-Mad.

- Who now? - Yes, master of ceremonies.

Now do what I say,

no bullshit.

Go on.

Time to finish your story.

You'll see, you little shit!

Blackbeard is wearing the cape.

He's accepted his death.

It was easier than I thought.

He was a giant with clay feet.

People of MACA.

Months,

years,

even a leap year went by.

Zama is 7 years old.

Soni has become the queen's closest advisor.

Every night, Zama's father wonders

how he'll live up to the queen's expectations.

He secretly recites a verse in Arabic.

Soni made the queen believe

he spoke the language of the stars.

Blackbeard has made his descent.

Blackbeard, make the journey

Make the journey

Don't turn back

Say hello to the Elder for me

Say hello to Marco for me

Say hello to the Cursed Soldier

He's going away

Goodbye, Blackbeard is going away

Goodbye

Go on.

I didn't tell it right earlier.

Soni made the queen believe he spoke the language of the stars.

And Zama's father,

a blind man with powers multiplied by fear,

now has to defeat the opposing army

in the queen's battle against her younger brother.

The battle is brewing, despite the opposition of the generals.

One starry night, the queen's troops begin to march.

The soldiers wrapped their feet with cloth

so they wouldn't make any noise.

In the small hours of the morning,

they're joined by a new army.

I'm here.

You came?

- You're not scared? - No.

Baba, can you win the war?

God willing.

The queen will be angry if you don't.

The queen will eat now!

Sacrilege!

Why aren't they fighting?

You can't see them fighting since you're not initiated.

And that's how the queen,

despite help from the traditional hunters of the north,

was defeated by her younger brother.

And Soni?

And Zama?

They killed them, for sure.

Soni knows he's dead if the queen catches him.

So he puts on a big, torn boubou,

grabs a basket of guinea fowl, disguising himself as a poultry vendor.

He sets off down the road,

guided by Zama.

That's when Soni arrived in Abidjan with his son.

And like all the poor people from the west of the country,

Soni and Zama arrived in a slum...

The Lawless Quarter!

- Hi, elder. - How are you?

- Zama? - Yes, Baba?

Your friends are here.

Wear this, we're going to the Golf Hotel. They've arrested Gbagbo.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Ivory Coast is liberated.

Former president Laurent Gbagbo was captured a few minutes ago

by the Republican Forces.

Did you follow the post-electoral crisis?

No!

We don't talk politics here.

The post-electoral crisis made Zama.

How?

When fighting broke out in Abidjan,

Zama took up with the rebel forces.

You're the son of a blind man.

You need protection.

I have something for you...

because you'll be very exposed.

Wear this necklace.

Where are you?

Make sure

you always have it with you.

Repeat after me: I, Zama, am like the wind.

Only those who can catch the wind will be able to catch me.

When you're with them,

always stay back.

Then you can harness their power. Understood?

This is a political time.

Zama, go.

May God protect you, Son.

May God guide your way.

We interrupt this program with a breaking news bulletin.

We have just learned that...

Laurent Gbagbo was caught with his wife

and son, Michel Gbagbo.

Here's a video of this arrest.

After President Laurent Gbagbo's arrest,

Zama became the rebels' favourite,

the handyman for the new leaders of the country.

Ivory Coast is ours!

With his father's magic amulet, he feels invincible.

Zama King's first recruits were children of the rebellion:

Pythagoras,

Blackie

and Double Trouble.

With them, he started his own gang:

the Microbes.

They got the name from the Brazilian film

City of God.

Zé Pequeno!

I know that movie!

Every night, they carried out Operation Clean City.

They stole everything in their way.

Zama King and his gang would show up on a busy street with bars and restaurants.

The smallest ones would pretend to fight each other.

People would gather around to see what was happening.

Then,

the other Microbes would come out of hiding and surround them.

There were 20 or 30 of them.

They'd frisk everyone and take their phones and cash.

They'd attack anyone who resisted with a knife or machete.

When the police arrived on the scene,

Zama King and his gang were gone.

That's how Zama King and the Microbes

terrorized Abidjan for two years.

Until the day...

Get him! Kill him!

It's him!

It's him!

It's him!

Kill him!

Until the day I told you about, when the people caught him.

People of MACA!

Yeah!

Roman has told us his story.

In one night,

which envelops all others,

he transported us into the life of Zama King.

And for that, we thank him.

Roman! Roman! Roman!

No!

I'm not done yet.

Go on, then!

We're listening.

I left out a key part.

I was saving the twist ending for last.

Griots always do that.

Did you know...

Spit it out.

...that Soni wasn't Zama's father?

And his mother, Hélène, wasn't his real mother either.

What are you saying?

I'll tell you how Zama was adopted

when he was just a newborn.

Welcome. I'm Hélène.

I'll name you Zama, he who draws on the strength of others.

Actually,

Soni and Hélène couldn't have children.

That's why Hélène took the foundling child.

It'll be morning soon.

Order!

Order!

Are you done now?

No! I haven't told you

how Soni learned of his son's death.

That's enough.

You had all night to tell your story.

It doesn't even make sense. You're all mixed up.

How did Zama King, who died at 19, grow up in an ancient kingdom?

It's ridiculous.

You finished your story, but you're trying to buy more time.

Yeah.

Someone must've warned you about what's next.

He knows.

What's your last wish?

Why won't you let him finish the story?

Half-Mad...

Half-Mad!

Lass!

Nivaquine!

Roman?

Roman!

Roman?

Translation by Elisabeth Gillies

Subtitles by MELS