Status: Development
English/French
95 Pages
Co-Production Countries:
US, France, Spain, Caribbean
Story & Screenplay By
Tom Edgerton
Genre
Institutional, Crime, Thriller
Comparables
Widows, Incendies, Last Black Man in San Fransisco, Monsieur Lazhar
After evading popular uprising and starting a new life in Montreal, a Haitian refugee turned restaurateur must choose between liberty or livelihood.
Haitian cook, turned political refugee Emmanual Bernard, settles into a new life in Canada, taking over the lease on the modest cafe he works in. Things finally begin to feel comfortable, when his success attracts the attention of a local gang – demanding he continue the protection payments and privileges his predecessor afforded.
Unwilling to comply, and sacrifice a hard earned freedom, he begins a grassroots movement to resist. But the groundswell of support puts him firmly in the crosshairs of Montreal’s ruling class and North America’s fifth crime family, the Rizutto’s.
With a significant revenue stream compromised, they take swift action. Emmanual faces down a familiarly impenetrable regime, but this time sees no escape.
Centred on the capacity of the individual, and the fragility of freedom, Le Milieu is an institutional crime thriller of old; with themes, characters and settings that bring it into the new and now.
Writer
Tom Edgerton
A member of the Writers Guild of Canada, Tom Edgerton is a professional screenwriter. His award winning short film Chekhov’s: A Work of Art has played at numerous international festivals and was shortlisted for a British Short Film Award.
His first feature film Mantell of Lewes is a UK-Canadian co-production with Daniel Radcliffe attached. Subsequent works include the Garbo Network (Oscar Isaac), Barometer Rising and King of Prussia.
Tom also publishes long form articles and short stories and has been featured in publications including The Sun Literary Magazine and the Three Penny Review.
Reference
- Inspired by Addiopizzo
Lightwood Green 