Monday Night Cinema

The Kingdom

(Le Royaume)

Corsica, 1995: 15-year-old Lesia (Ghjuvanna Benedetti) seems like any regular teenager. However, Pierre-Paul (Saveriu Santucci), the father she adores but only sees occasionally, is actually the head of one of the island’s local crime gangs and a long-time fugitive. When violence escalates over her summer break from school, the reality and horrors of her father’s world are finally fully revealed to Lesia.

First-time director and screenwriter Julien Colonna, who was born and brought up on Corsica himself, combines local knowledge with a cast of first-time native actors to bring an authenticity to his confident debut. While the story may feel familiar, it finds fresh perspective as told through the eyes of its young lead female character and the knockout performance of newcomer Ghjuvanna Benedetti.