IN CINEMA
Wednesday, August 20th, 2025 at 7PM
Co-Presented with Villa Albertine and NYAFF
NIGHT OF THE KINGS
Phillippe Lacôte, 2020, 93 min.
Paying homage to the tradition of the griot in West African culture, this original vision from breakout Ivory Coast filmmaker Philippe Lacôte tells the story of a pickpocket (Koné Bakary), newly arrived at a correctional facility in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan, who, in order to stay alive, must keep his fellow inmates entertained with wild tales over the course of a night.
Join Villa Albertine, the New York African Film Festival, and the Maysles Documentary Center for an evening celebrating the acclaimed French-Ivorian director and producer Philippe Lacôte. Following the screening, Philippe Lacôte will be joined by writer and Yale University’s researcher, Yasmina Price, for an indepth discussion around his films and his next project.
From July 21 to August 30, Philippe Lacôte will travel to New York to conduct a residency at Villa Albertine.
Lacôte’s next feature, 7 GOLD THIEVES, is largely set in New York among Harlem’s African diaspora. The film takes place across several generations between West Africa and the US, offering a deep-dive into the customs and rituals of the little-known Tidjane Sufi community.
About Phillippe Lacôte
Philippe Lacôte grew up in Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire. He has written and directed two feature-length films, RUN (screened in the Un certain regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014) and NIGHT OF THE KINGS (Venise Orizzonti 2020, TIFF Amplify Voices Award, Rotterdam Youth Jury Award), as well as a four-part documentary series for Arte, SLAVERY ROUTES (2018). His most recent project, KILLER HEAT, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley released in 2024 and was produced by Amazon Studios.
Post-screening talkback with Phillippe Lacôte and Yasmina Price
$15 General Admission / $7 Reduced Price
