Athena shows France descending into civil war on Netflix

• Romain Gavras’ “Athena” shows France descending into civil war following riots over police violence.
• Echoes of recent unsettling trends such as the “Yellow Vest” protests.
• French film cannot be shown in French cinemas.

“Athena,” which depicts France breaking out into civil war after riots over police brutality, has disturbing similarities of current events like the “Yellow Vest” rallies and the emergence of the far right.

Director Romain Gavras, who made his name with arresting music videos for artists like Kanye West and MIA, will release an explosive depiction of French inner-city unrest on Netflix on Friday.

The film is not intended to have any political influence, according to the director, the son of the renowned and extremely political French-Greek director Costa-Gavras.

When the movie had its world debut earlier this month at the Venice Film Festival, he told AFP, “We never really know whether films have an impact on people.”

He said: “Personally, it was Marlon Brando who made me want to start smoking… but when we´re filled with anger, I don´t know if watching a film can stop it,”

“Athena” immediately immerses the viewer in the chaos and wrath of an inner-city neighbourhood as riots break out after the killing of a young guy by the police.

The turmoil, stoked by the far right, plunges the nation into civil war.

It can be compared to “La Haine,” the wildly popular 1995 film about unrest in the Paris suburbs, but its heightened imagery is more akin to legendary Hollywood movies like “Gladiator” or “Apocalypse Now.”

The fact that “Athena” cannot be screened in French theatres despite receiving a limited theatrical release elsewhere is what makes it all the more heartbreaking.

France has tight regulations designed to limit the influence of streaming companies.

Gavras claimed that Netflix was essential to the creation of the movie while also expressing his “great dismay” that “The film could not have been made without Netflix,”

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