Understanding and appreciation of Claire Denis has long faced the vacancy of No Fear, No Die, her 1992 feature pitting Alex Descas and Isaach de Bankolé in the world of cockfighting. Whether you’ve watched the fuzzy DVD rip that’s satiated fans or have awaited better opportunities, a 4K restoration from The Film Desk and Pathé arrives as manna from heaven––watching it recently was like having a new Denis film altogether. With No Fear, No Die now playing at BAM, the Siskel Film Center, and Austin Film Society, there’s a fresh, Abdullah Ibrahim-scored trailer that we’re pleased to debut.
Here’s the synopsis: “Isaach de Bankolé and Alex Descas star in the under-seen second feature by celebrated director Claire Denis, an unflinching portrait of two Black immigrant men from Benin and French Antilles, scraping out a living through illegal cockfights in a restaurant basement on the outskirts of Paris. As their restaurateur partner, portrayed by French New Wave legend Jean-Claude Brialy, demands more violence and blood, bonds fray and tensions escalate out of control––all set to a slow-burning score by South African jazz great Abdullah Ibrahim. Inspired by the writings of postcolonial philosopher Frantz Fanon, No Fear, No Die viscerally evokes the psychic trauma experienced by outsiders in a majority-white society.”
Find the preview (edited by Standish Adair) below: