French cult film 'La Haine' returns as a stage musical

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. French director Mathieu Kassovitz’s critically acclaimed black-and-white film opens with video images of news footage of urban riots. The title remains the same — “La Haine,” which translates as “hate,” but adds a subtitle: “So far, nothing has changed.” “Two days after we announced the show, we were very hyped,” Kassovitz said. Two days later, we saw the video of Nahel, you know, the kid who got shot by policemen.” Kassovitz was referring to Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old delivery driver who was fatally shot by a police officer in June 2023, sparking riots across the country and unleashing anger over police violence, poverty and discrimination against people with immigrant backgrounds. It’s for all the victims that suffered that kind of violence after so many years.” Love is all you need Despite shooting “La Haine” in black and white, Kassovitz tries to avoid overly simplistic conclusions about the roots of violence.