Rebellion

In this drama based on true events, the captain of an elite counter-terrorist unit tries to resolve a hostage crisis involving French police officers in New Caledonia, while back in France a presidential campaign is in full swing. Phillipe Legorjus (Kassovitz) attempts to negotiate the release of the hostages while the French army, also on the scene, prefer a more aggressive approach - as does one of the presidential candidates, who seizes on the issue as a means of boosting his popularity ahead of the election.

When Kanak seperatists stormed a police station in Ouvea Island, New Caledonia, in 1988 they created a military standoff with French colonial powers. Philippe Legorjus, on whose memoirs Rebellion is based, attempted to resolve the crisis through negotiation with the leader of the Kanak separatist group, but his job was made far more complex when the hostage-taking became an election issue. Jacques Chirac was challenging incumbent Francois Mitterand for the presidency, and gained ground in the polls by pushing for a military solution, adding an unwelcome political dimension to events and forcing Mitterand to consider a more aggressive resolution.

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