Quand la ville s'éteint

Cobra, in his early twenties, grew up in the Strasbourg - Saint-Denis neighborhood of Paris where for the past few years, new "hip" shops have been replacing the traditional "mom and pop" stores. He spends his time working for his Dad in his grocery store, hanging out with friends at « Chez Jeannette ' café and writing his first rap album. With no contacts and no money, he relies on his enthusiasm and strong will to succeed. He gives himself one year to make a name for himself. One day he meets Chérif, a former raï producer who accepts to lend him his recording studio. Their friendship will change everything. With a spirited style at 180 beats per minute, When the city goes dark mixes rap, electro and raï to tell the story of Cobra, torn between his modest origins and his dreams of fame. It also describes the gentrification of a neighborhood that has now become the headquarters for artistic production and that of a young generation struggling to find their place on the music scene where one can rise to fame quickly, or crash just as fast."Written in an energetic, engaging style, Quand la ville s'éteint (When the City Goes Dark) combines the history of pop music of the last thirty years with a subtle observation of the sociological transformations in Paris. A great discovery !" L'Humanité"Julia Pialat has written a luminous novel, full of hope, and an objective look at the present gentrification of working-class neighborhoods. It also evokes the world of musical creation and comes with its own soundtrack." GQ