Ladj Ly, director of Les Misérables, a film about the spiral of violence between police and youngsters in a high-rise neighbourhood which he himself grew up in and which has been nominated for best foreign-language feature film at the Oscars, has said that he hoped his film would let young people 'know that you can start from nothing, from as low-down as it gets, and find yourself at the Oscars'.
The nomination of the Paris banlieue movie Les Misérables for best foreign-language feature at the Oscars has been hailed as a historic moment – the first time a black film director has represented France at the Academy Awards, and for a low-budget drama about the topical issue of police violence, reports The Guardian.
