The Global Cultures Institutes, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the Department of English and the African Leadership Centre are thrilled to host the London Film Premiere of No Chains No Masters (Ni Chaînes ni maîtres) by Simon Moutaïrou.

Ni Chaînes ni maîtres takes place in 1759 on the Isle de France, the French colony now known as Mauritius. In this fictional story, Massamba and his daughter Mati, enslaved people on Eugène Larcenet’s plantation, live in fear and toil. One night, Mati flees in search of a community of fugitive slaves – known as maroons – who are said to live free in the greatest secrecy. The plantation owner hires a slave hunter, Madame la Victoire, to track Mati down, and Massamba has no choice but to escape as well.

Ni Chaînes ni maîtres is a rare cinematic portrayal of French slavery in the Indian Ocean and a poignant exploration of marronage and of enslaved people’s fight against oppression. Released in the autumn in France, the film has captivated audiences and critics alike and is Simon Moutaïrou’s first feature film.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion directed by Professor Ananya Kabir with film director Simon Moutaïrou, Professor Nick Harrison and Dr Rosa Beunel-Fogarty. A 30-minute Q&A with the audience will follow.

The event is sponsored by the Global Cultures Institute, the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the Department of English and the African Leadership Centre of King’s College London. It is co-organised by Professor Ananya Kabir and Dr Luca Raimondi.

The Global Cultures Institute is housed in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of King’s College London and aims to foster interdisciplinary conversations that explore cultural boundaries and how these might be shaped, adjusted and overcome.

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of King’s College London houses world-leading research that examines languages and literatures as transnational phenomena in a global context. Engaging with a wide range of languages, geographies, historical periods and media it seeks to further the understanding of languages and literatures cultural and societal impact.

The Department of English in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of King’s College London was one of the first English departments in the world and remains world-leading in both research and teaching. It produces world-leading and impactful research on literary culture and creative practice from the medieval to the contemporary.

The African Leadership Centre at King's College London and Nairobi is comprised of a community of leaders driving peace, security and development and seeking to inform and influence debate, teaching and learning, as well as policy discourses in both Africa and globally.

About the speakers

Simon Moutaïrou is a screenwriter and film director known for his work on Black Box (2021) The Assault (2010) and now his first feature film No Chains no Masters (2024). The movie is inspired by his childhood spent in Benin, where he learned about the history of the slave trade. No Chains No Masters is his tribute to the resilience of enslaved people and their fight against oppression.

Ananya Jahanara Kabir, FBA is Professor of English Literature at King’s College London and Fellow of the British Academy. Her research spans creolisation across the Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds, critical philology, and the relationship between literary texts, embodied cultural expression, and memory work. During 2013-18, she directed the ERC Advanced Grant-funded project ‘Modern Moves’ (on the global popularity of African-heritage dance). She has been awarded India’s Infosys Prize in the Humanities and Germany’s Humboldt Research Prize.

Nick Harrison, FBA is Professor of French & Postcolonial Studies at King’s College London and is the current president of the Society for French Studies. Current projects include work on Fanon, literary translation, and the perception of colour.

Rosa Beunel-Fogarty is lecturer in English and Postcolonial literature at City, University of London and PhD in English and Francophone postcolonial literature and theory. She specialises in Indian Ocean Island literature and researches on the culture of creolised societies.