France has won the World Cup. Summer has arrived. It should be a good day. Ladj Ly’s explosive Cannes Jury Prize - winning debut feature begins here in Montfermeil, the same banlieue of Paris where part of Victor Hugo’s chef d’oeuvre on the downtrodden of Paris took place. A century and a half later, Ly picks up on the thematic threads of the great writer in a modern take on revolution against a broken system. During a time of rising nationalism and right-wing politics in France, Ly’s film further reverberates with an urgency, as this isn’t merely a portrait of a community: it is a study of a nation on the brink. Les Misérables is a nominee for Best International Feature Film at this year's Academy Awards.