''24 Days'' (french: 24 jours, la vérité sur l'affaire Ilan Halimi — lit. 24 Days: The True Story of the Ilan Halimi Affair) is a French

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Alexandre Arcady Alexandre Arcady (born 17 March 1947) is a French actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Life and career Alexandre Arcady was born in Algiers, Algeria. He emigrated to France at the age of fifteen. His son is filmmaker Alexandre Aja. ...

released in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

. It examines The Affair of the Gang of Barbarians of January 2006.

Synopsis

On a Friday night of January 2006, after Shabbat dinner with his mother (

Zabou Breitman Zabou Breitman (born Isabelle Breitman; 30 October 1959), or simply Zabou, is a French actress and director. She is the daughter of actors Jean-Claude Deret and Céline Léger. At the age of four, she appeared in her first movie. Since 1981, Z ...

) and sister, 23-year-old Ilan Halimi (Syrus Shahidi) receives a phone call. Ilan quickly arranges to meet up with the caller, a beautiful young woman, and is subsequently attacked and kidnapped by a gang. The following afternoon, the Halimi family are sent a harrowing online message demanding a ransom for Ilan's return. Ilan's parents, Ruth and Didier Halimi (played by

Pascal Elbé Pascal Elbé (born 13 March 1967) is a French actor, director and screenwriter. Life and career Pascal Elbé was born in Colmar, Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (, ; Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; german: Oberelsass, ) is a department in the Grand ...

), immediately contact the police. The police, failing to recognize the

anti-Semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

behind the attack, treat Ilan's case as a normal kidnapping. The film depicts the next 24 days, in which the Halimi family receives over 700 threatening phone calls from Ilan's kidnappers. Tensions rise between the family and the police assigned to their case, as days go by without Ilan's safe return. Eventually, more is discovered about Ilan's kidnapper (Tony Harrisson Mpoudja), who seems to be in multiple places at once. The film is a chilling depiction of the real-life events surrounding the attack, and presents a commentary on growing anti-Semitism in France.

Cast

as Ruth Halimi *

as Didier Halimi *

Jacques Gamblin Jacques Gamblin is a French actor. Life and career Jacques Gamblin is a French actor. He studied at the Centre dramatique de Caen (Caen Dramatic Arts Centre). Originally, Jacques Gamblin was not destined to act. As a professional technician ...

as Commandant Delcour *

Sylvie Testud Sylvie Testud (born 17 January 1971) is a French actress hose film career est Actress for '' Fear and Trembling'' (2003), and the European Film Award for Best Actress for '' Lourdes'' (2009). Her other film roles include '' Beyond Silence'' ( ...

as Brigitte Farell * Éric Caravaca as Lieutenant Fernandez * as

Ilan Halimi The murder of Ilan Halimi ( he, אילן חלימי) was the kidnapping, torture, and murder of a young Frenchman of Moroccan Jewish ancestry in France in 2006. Halimi was kidnapped on 21 January 2006 by a group calling itself the Gang of Barbar ...

* as Yaël Halimi * Audrey Giacomini as Mony * as Anne-Laure Halimi *

Olivier Sitruk Olivier Sitruk (born December 25, 1970 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France), is a French comedian, actor, and producer, who has appeared in 44 films and television shows. After considering a career as an archaeologist, Sitruk changed his mind and ...

as Raphy * Kevin Elarbi as Karim * Tony Harrisson Mpoudja as Youssouf Fofana * as Jérôme Ribeiro * Matthieu Boujenah as Johan * as Lieutenant Dussault * Emilie Caen as Lieutenant Barsac * as Capitaine Garcin * Sophie Tapie as Lieutenant Vogel * Romain Guillaume as voice analysis investigator *

Alexis Michalik Alexis Michalik, born 13 December 1982, is a Franco-British actor, scriptwriter and director. He adapted Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet'' into his play ''R & J'' and he has written and staged his own plays, including '' Le Porteur d'histoire'' ...

as Lieutenant Joubert * as Emma

References

External links

* Antisemitism in France French drama films Crime films based on actual events Films directed by Alexandre Arcady 2010s French films {{2010s-France-film-stub