“Jusqu’ici tout va bien”—”So far, so good”—is the striking quote from Mathieu Kassovitz’s film La Haine, which now marks its 30th anniversary. Three decades after its premiere, little has changed in the social realities the film portrays. Issues such as racism and police violence remain urgently relevant.

The story unfolds over the course of a single day, following the youths Vinz [Vincent Cassel], Saïd [Saïd Taghmaoui], and Hubert [Hubert Koundé] in a Parisian banlieue marked by tension and violence. After a violent confrontation between the police and residents, their friend Abdel lies in a coma. This incident propels the three into thoughts of revenge and an existential search for direction. La Haine captures the experiences of a generation living with exclusion, a lack of prospects, and state repression.

The cinematography, in stark black and white, heightens the oppressive atmosphere and makes both the internal conflicts and social tensions palpable. Through distinctive camera angles and dynamic editing, Kassovitz vividly conveys the claustrophobic confines of the suburbs and the simmering anger of the protagonists.

La Haine is regarded as a milestone of French cinema and was awarded the Best Director prize at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. The film remains a timeless, powerful document of societal injustice and a key reference point in debates on social equality, whose urgency endures to this day. In celebration of its anniversary, La Haine is currently being shown in numerous cinemas — an opportunity not to be missed.