District 13
| District 13 | |
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French-language poster
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| Directed by | Pierre Morel |
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| Distributed by | EuropaCorp |
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Running time
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86 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | €13 million |
| Box office | $9.6–$11.6 million |
District 13 (French title Banlieue 13 or B13), is a 2004 French action film, directed by Pierre Morel and written and produced by Luc Besson. The film is notable for its depiction of parkour in a number of stunt sequences that were completed without the use of wires or computer generated effects. Because of this, some film critics have drawn comparisons to the popular Thai film Ong-Bak.David Belle, regarded as the founder of parkour, plays Leïto, one of the protagonists in the film.
In 2010, social problems have overrun the poorer suburbs of Paris; especially Banlieue 13, commonly referred to as B13: a ghetto with a population of some two million. Unable to control B13, the authorities construct a high wall topped by barbed tape around the entire area, forcing the inhabitants within to survive without education, proper utilities or police protection behind the containment wall. Police checkpoints stop anybody going in or out. Three years later, the district has become overrun with gangs. Leïto (David Belle) is a fighter of such gangs. The beginning of the film depicts Leïto washing a case full of drugs down the drain, then escaping the gang who has come to collect the drugs. The gang's leader, Taha, kidnaps Leïto's sister Lola in retaliation; Leïto is able to rescue her and take Taha to the police station, but the police arrest Leïto and let Taha leave with Lola, stating that they're leaving the district.
Six months later, in Paris, Damien—an undercover cop—completes a successful operation at a casino, and is immediately given a new assignment: Taha's gang has taken a bomb from a nuclear transport vehicle and accidentally activated it, giving it 24 hours before it wipes out the district. Damien, posing as a prisoner, must infiltrate the district and disarm the bomb; he teams up with Leïto to do so. Leïto immediately sees through Damien's cover, but the two reluctantly team up to save Leïto's sister as well. The pair surrenders to Taha in order to gain access to his base, where they find the bomb has been set up on a missile launcher aimed at Paris, with Lola handcuffed to it. Taha demands a high ransom to deactivate the bomb; the government refuses, but after Damien gives them Taha's bank account codes, they drain his funds. Damien and Leïto escape, while Taha is killed by his own men when they realize he will be unable to pay them. The much more benevolent K2 takes over and allows Damien and Leïto to stop the bomb.
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