Bertrand Bonello's ZOMBI CHILD begins showing today in New York City and Chicago, and to mark the occasion we have an EXCLUSIVE clip to share that gives a look at an intense moment from the film.
The story of ZOMBI CHILD is told through French and Haitian dialogue (with English subtitles), and unlike most zombie movies that are released these days this one isn't about the flesh-eating walking dead. Injecting "history and politics into an unconventional cross-genre film", ZOMBI CHILD takes the zombie concept back to its voodoo roots. As you can see in the clip embedded below.
It all begins in 1962 Haiti with
the real-life story of Clairvius Narcisse, who falls dead on the street but is soon turned into a "zombi" when he is dug up from his grave and forced to work on a sugar-cane plantation. Shifting to present-day Paris at the Légion d'honneur boarding school, a rebellious teen named Fanny befriends Melissa, who moved to France when her parents died in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. After recruiting her into a secret literary sorority, Fanny learns of Melissa's connection to Clairvius, and becomes obsessed with her new friend's past and culture, soon doing the unthinkable: seeking out her voodoo mambo aunt to solve her recent heartbreak.
The film stars Louise Labèque, Wislanda Louimat, Katiana Milfort, Macenson Bijou, Adilé David, Ninon François, Mathilde Riu, Ginite Popote, and Néhémy Pierre-Dahomey.
Here's the list of theatres that will be showing ZOMBI CHILD over the next month and a half:
1/24: Film at Lincoln Center (NYC)
1/24: Quad Cinema (NYC)
1/24: Gene Siskel Film Center (Chicago)
1/31: Alamo Drafthouse (Brooklyn; weekend shows)
2/7-9: SIFF Film Center (Seattle)
2/21: Nuart (Los Angeles)
2/21: MFA Boston
2/28: Cosford Art Cinema (Miami)
2/28: O Cinema Miami Beach
2/28: Landmark Opera Plaza (San Francisco)
2/28: Landmark Shattuck Cinema (Berkeley, CA)
2/28: Cinema Salem (MA)
3/6: The Grand Berry (Ft. Worth, TX)
3/6: Gateway Film Center (Columbus, OH)
In addition to writing and directing the film, Bonello also composed the score and produced alongside Judith Lou Lévy.