Crois Pas Qu’on Dort, Nike Backed Documentary Paris Premiere Jan 13th

Los Angeles, CA (January 3, 2024). Crois Pas Qu’on Dort (We’re Not Sleeping), Nike-baked documentary from Nick Walters and Lou Marillier is set for its Paris premiere on January 13th, 2025. Produced by Pi Studios, the event is set to take place at the famous Grand Rex venue and will be attended by renowned French hip-hop star Tiakola, who has written film’s the original song. The film will be in theatres in France for a limited release on January 17th and 19th and is currently seeking international distribution.

Crois Pas Qu’on Dort (We’re Not Sleeping) is the raw and intimate portrait of Maysane, Leyna and Charles-Antoine – three young Parisian athletes preparing themselves for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Filmed over five years, the documentary sees the trio take on the challenges of adolescence, as well as the sacrifices demanded by their sporting dream: representing France on the biggest sporting stage.

Charles-Antoine is a sensitive yet outgoing track athlete with an intellectual disability. The film follows him between the ages of 21-26, during which he unexpectedly won gold in the Tokyo Olympics. We see him face new pressures: the expectation of success at Paris 2024, his struggle to reconcile his status as a star athlete with the everyday life he continues to lead as a trainee gardener living at his parents’ home in the suburbs of Paris. At the same time, his family struggles to fully understanding both the nature of his disability and his sporting achievements.

The Official Trailer for Crois Pas Qu’on Dort Directed by Walters & Marillier

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The film’s other stars are identical twins Leyna and Maysane, the heirs to their Laotian-Algerian family’s taekwondo dynasty. They have an intense relationship with their father who also acts as their coach, pushing them to reach the highest level of the sport they love. Throughout the film they manage the often extreme emotions taekwondo provides as they both pursue the same dream, whilst also navigating their roles as young Muslim women in modern-day France.

Speaking about the film, directors Walters & Marillier have jointly stated: “On a grand canvas, “Crois Pas Qu’On Dort” paints a profoundly personal picture – an epic sweep across time and the suburbs of Paris, that tells the story of four young people faced with life changing challenges. With the privilege of filming with them over six years, we tell a story that dramatizes the trials and tribulations of their journey as they search for their own form of personal emancipation, fulfillment and victory through sport.

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Our intention is to weave their spirit into the fabric of the film, rooting the film’s perspective in theirs. We see the world as they do, feel their experiences as they do, encounter challenges hand-in-hand as they navigate them. At its heart, it’s a story about growing up.”

Developed and produced by Pi Studios and by French powerhouse shingle SRAB Films, the film explores many of the working-class suburbs seen in Ladj Ly’s award-winning “Les Misérables,” which was also produced by SRAB Films. With support from Nike, Pi Studios has also introduced the “Crois Pas Qu’on Dort” pledge, dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting underrepresented filmmakers and to diversifying film crews.

“This is the most important story we’ve ever told,” says Pi Studios founder Alex Bennett-Grant. “This is also the longest project we’ve ever undertaken, leading to a deep, trusting partnership with our incredible cast, directors and producers. Kudos also to Nike who funded the film then gave us the freedom to not only tell these true stories, but also support the launch with full entertainment force so it can move a lot of people.”

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