BANLIEUE 13 / DISTRICT B13 |

Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Cast: Cyril Raffaelli as Damien, David Belle as Leïto, Tony D’Amario as K2, Bibi Naceri as Taha, Dany Verissimo as Lola, François Chattot as Krüger, Nicolas Woirion as Corsini, Patrick Olivier as Le colonel, Samir Guesmi as Jamel, Jérôme Gadner as K2 boy 1, Tarik Boucekhine as Yoyo, Grégory Jean as Para 2 and Warren Zavatta as Para 3

Crew: Pierre Morel (Director); Luc Besson, Bibi Naceri (Writers); Luc Besson (Producer); Manuel Teran (Cinematography)

Synopsis:
Paris, 2010 – ghetto District B13, where lawless gangs reign inside the isolation walls. Damien (Raffaelli) is a member of the police elite task force. A Special Intervention unit officer and expert in martial arts, he is a master of infiltration, and well-versed in successfully completing his operations through rapid, precise and often strong-arm actions. This time, the government has assigned him the most extreme expedition of his entire career: defusing a weapon of mass destruction that has been stolen by the most powerful gang of District B13. To complete his mission, Damien teams up with Leïto (Belle), whose sole goal is to save his sister, who has fallen into the hands of the same gang. Having grown up in District B13, Leïto is, moreover, the only one who knows District B13 like the back of his hand. But the story is not so simple. Who exactly works for whom? Where are those who really pull the strings? And above all, who would profit from the use of this bomb?

Packed with explosive, super-human chase and fight scenes based on the philosophy Parkour, District B13 is directed by Pierre Morel from an original idea by Luc Besson, who is also producer and co-writer (with Bibi Naceri) of the film. District B13 comes on the heels of the wildly successful Transporter 2, which Besson produced and co-wrote, and Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior, on which Besson served as an executive producer. Separating District B13 from the usual summer action movie is the way it showcases the urban art Parkour: almost like skateboarding without a skateboard. Actors Cyril Raffaelli and David Belle are also gifted stuntmen who painstakingly choreographed each stunt to serve the story. Raffaelli, a specialist in precision stunts, was the perfect match for Belle, who invented the concept of Parkour.

Production Company: Europa Corp/ TF1 Films Productions