Le royaume

Julien Colonna's feature film debut is a thrilling mix of mafia drama and a budding father-daughter relationship on the beautiful island of Corsica.

At the start of the summer holidays, 15-year-old Lesia is taken by her aunt to a remote location and left with her father, Pierre-Paul, who has been on the run her entire life. Tensions quickly rise following an assassination attempt on a politician and the murder of her godfather. While Pierre-Paul prepares for a possible power struggle between rival gangs, Lesia sees pictures of the men around her, whom she considers her uncles, on television alongside images of violence. Lesia loves her father, but gradually comes to realize what his life and work really entail.

Le Royaume, the feature film debut of Corsican director Julien Colonna, is a thrilling and compelling mafia drama set in the Corsican countryside in the 1990s. But also a family drama focusing on the relationship between a father and his young, maturing daughter. Most of the roles are played by non-professional actors from the Corsican community. The film was selected for the Cannes Film Festival and was praised by the international press for its intense and realistic portrayal of the Corsican mafia and the brilliant role of newcomer Ghjuvanna Benedetti.