Presented only in theatres
Winner of the Best Documentary Series Award at CanneSeries Festival (France, 2024), this must-see work retraces the story of the late DJ and producer DJ Mehdi, a young suburban artist of Tunisian descent who left an indelible mark on music history in France and beyond.
From his beginnings with one of the hardest-hitting collectives in French rap (La Mafia K’1 Fry – Kery James, 113, Rohff, Intouchable…) to collaborations with some of the biggest names in French hip-hop (MC Solaar, Booba, Akhenaton, Diam’s, Oxmo Puccino…), he became a major force on the international music scene. A pioneer in bridging hip-hop and electronic music, he made his mark alongside iconic figures such as Busy P, Cassius, Daft Punk, Justice, and the Ed Banger Records family, shaping the evolution of both genres over the past 25 years. Directed by a childhood friend of DJ Mehdi, this documentary series offers an intimate and authentic look at his journey. More than just a portrait, it celebrates the legacy of a visionary and unifying artist — a role model for an entire generation from the suburbs.
An exclusive screening at FIFA, the only chance to experience this documentary series in Montréal.
Director’s statement:
Through the exploration of the action-packed itinerary of a true musical genius, “DJ Mehdi : Made in France” is a story about the rise of hip-hop and the explosion of electronic music on the world stage, told from a point of view that is — for once — not North American.
This documentary series is also the first to feature a hip-hop beatmaker as its main character, delving deeply into the creativity and ingeniousness of the trade to make it palatable to all viewers.
Beyond its captivating story, the documentary’s form itself is a celebration of the art of sampling, beatmaking and creating music with no boundaries, by all means necessary.
One of the many ambitions and underlying messages of this series is to inspire creators across all disciplines and individuals from all walks of life to express themselves and go beyond all rules, dogmas, or traditional criteria that one’s cultural background and social context might impose and to be their true selves, no matter what they say.
Winner of the Best Documentary Series Award at CanneSeries Festival (France, 2024), this must-see work retraces the story of the late DJ and producer DJ Mehdi, a young suburban artist of Tunisian descent who left an indelible mark on music history in France and beyond.
From his beginnings with one of the hardest-hitting collectives in French rap (La Mafia K’1 Fry – Kery James, 113, Rohff, Intouchable…) to collaborations with some of the biggest names in French hip-hop (MC Solaar, Booba, Akhenaton, Diam’s, Oxmo Puccino…), he became a major force on the international music scene. A pioneer in bridging hip-hop and electronic music, he made his mark alongside iconic figures such as Busy P, Cassius, Daft Punk, Justice, and the Ed Banger Records family, shaping the evolution of both genres over the past 25 years. Directed by a childhood friend of DJ Mehdi, this documentary series offers an intimate and authentic look at his journey. More than just a portrait, it celebrates the legacy of a visionary and unifying artist — a role model for an entire generation from the suburbs.
An exclusive screening at FIFA, the only chance to experience this documentary series in Montréal.
Director’s statement:
Through the exploration of the action-packed itinerary of a true musical genius, “DJ Mehdi : Made in France” is a story about the rise of hip-hop and the explosion of electronic music on the world stage, told from a point of view that is — for once — not North American.
This documentary series is also the first to feature a hip-hop beatmaker as its main character, delving deeply into the creativity and ingeniousness of the trade to make it palatable to all viewers.
Beyond its captivating story, the documentary’s form itself is a celebration of the art of sampling, beatmaking and creating music with no boundaries, by all means necessary.
One of the many ambitions and underlying messages of this series is to inspire creators across all disciplines and individuals from all walks of life to express themselves and go beyond all rules, dogmas, or traditional criteria that one’s cultural background and social context might impose and to be their true selves, no matter what they say.
Overview of some festivals:
Festival CanneSeries, Prix de la meilleure série documentaire, France (2024)
États généraux du film documentaire de Lussas, Prix Spécial du Jury, France (2024)
Dakar Series, Sénégal (2024)
Soeurs Jumelles, France (2024)
Festival international du film indépendant de Bordeaux, France (2024)
Festival CanneSeries, Prix de la meilleure série documentaire, France (2024)
États généraux du film documentaire de Lussas, Prix Spécial du Jury, France (2024)
Dakar Series, Sénégal (2024)
Soeurs Jumelles, France (2024)
Festival international du film indépendant de Bordeaux, France (2024)
| Director | Thibaut De Longeville |
| Director of Photography | Nicolas Desaintquentin |
| Editing | Nayla Baghdadi, Zakaria Cheurfa, Jules Renault |
| Music | Thomas Roussel |
In Partnership with
Present in these collections
Session
• Université Concordia - H110, Pavillon Henry F. Hall
Sunday, march 23, 2025, 02:00 p.m. — 06:02 p.m.
Production
Thibaut De Longeville
Available in French only
Avec son premier film “Sneakers, le Culte des Baskets”, Thibaut de Longeville s’est révélé comme l’une des nouvelles voix les plus prometteuses du film documentaire, de sa première au Tribeca Film Festival de 2005 aux 40 sélections en festivals de films internationaux et aux diffusions télévisées dans 50 pays qui ont suivi.
Thibaut a depuis collaboré avec un grand nombre de personnalités de la musique, du sport et de la culture urbaine, parmi lesquelles Jay‑Z, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Kanye West, Russell Simmons, Chaka Khan, Scottie Pippen, T.I., Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony et beaucoup d’autres.
Au cours des dernières années, Thibaut s’est distingué comme une force de développement de talents, travaillant aux côtés de nombreux créateurs et réalisateurs pour porter leurs visions à l’écran. Alternant les rôles d’auteur, caméraman, co-réalisateur, directeur artistique ou producteur, Thibaut a contribué de façon significative à la production des films “Doin’It In The Park”, “Nas: Time Is Illmatic”, “Usain Bolt : L’Homme le plus rapide du monde”, ainsi que deux films d’animation développés autour des documentaires “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: The Story of Bad Boy Records” et “Before Anythang: The Cash Money Records Story”.
Fin storyteller et faiseur d’images, Thibaut est aussi un passionné de design, de sagas de marques et d’histoires humaines qui résonnent dans la pop culture internationale.
Thibaut est également depuis 20 ans le co-producteur de l’événement annuel et du programme TV / vidéo “Quai 54 — World Streetball Championship”. L’événement est animé par Mokobé et le comédien Thomas Ngijol, et accueille chaque année les prestations d’artistes francophones et internationaux.
Biographical notes provided by the film production team and edited by Le FIFA’s team
Avec son premier film “Sneakers, le Culte des Baskets”, Thibaut de Longeville s’est révélé comme l’une des nouvelles voix les plus prometteuses du film documentaire, de sa première au Tribeca Film Festival de 2005 aux 40 sélections en festivals de films internationaux et aux diffusions télévisées dans 50 pays qui ont suivi.
Thibaut a depuis collaboré avec un grand nombre de personnalités de la musique, du sport et de la culture urbaine, parmi lesquelles Jay‑Z, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Kanye West, Russell Simmons, Chaka Khan, Scottie Pippen, T.I., Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony et beaucoup d’autres.
Au cours des dernières années, Thibaut s’est distingué comme une force de développement de talents, travaillant aux côtés de nombreux créateurs et réalisateurs pour porter leurs visions à l’écran. Alternant les rôles d’auteur, caméraman, co-réalisateur, directeur artistique ou producteur, Thibaut a contribué de façon significative à la production des films “Doin’It In The Park”, “Nas: Time Is Illmatic”, “Usain Bolt : L’Homme le plus rapide du monde”, ainsi que deux films d’animation développés autour des documentaires “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: The Story of Bad Boy Records” et “Before Anythang: The Cash Money Records Story”.
Fin storyteller et faiseur d’images, Thibaut est aussi un passionné de design, de sagas de marques et d’histoires humaines qui résonnent dans la pop culture internationale.
Thibaut est également depuis 20 ans le co-producteur de l’événement annuel et du programme TV / vidéo “Quai 54 — World Streetball Championship”. L’événement est animé par Mokobé et le comédien Thomas Ngijol, et accueille chaque année les prestations d’artistes francophones et internationaux.
Biographical notes provided by the film production team and edited by Le FIFA’s team
Bring Your Game Not Your Name (2015)
The Art of Blending with The Roots & Q‑Tip (2009)
Air Force 1 : Le Documentaire (2007)
Sneakers, le Culte des Baskets (2005)
The Art of Blending with The Roots & Q‑Tip (2009)
Air Force 1 : Le Documentaire (2007)
Sneakers, le Culte des Baskets (2005)
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