Overview
District 13 (French title Banlieue 13 or B13), is a 2004 French action film directed by Pierre Morel and written and produced by Luc Besson. It depicts parkour in several stunt sequences completed without wires or computer-generated imagery. Because of this, some film critics drew comparisons to the Thai film Ong-Bak. David Belle plays Leïto, the story's main character. This is the final film which released during Tony D'Amario's lifetime (who played as K2 in the film), before his death in 2005.
Plot
In 2010, social problems have overrun the poorer suburbs of Paris. Especially Banlieue 13, commonly referred to as B13: a ghetto with a population of two million people. Unable to control B13, the authorities surround the entire area with a high wall topped by barbed tape, forcing the inhabitants within to survive without education, proper utilities or police protection. Police checkpoints stop anybody going in or out. Three years later, the district has become overrun with gangs. Leïto is a fighter of such gangs, who disposes of a case of drugs down a drain, then escapes the gang led by K2, an enforcer who has come to collect the drugs.
The gang's leader, a ruthless man named Taha Ben Mahmoud, is angered and executes three of K2's men until K2 suggests they kidnap Leïto's sister Lola in retaliation. Lola is captured by K2 at a supermarket. Leïto is able to rescue her and take Taha to the police station, but the police chief in charge betrays and arrests Leïto, saying they are leaving the district and are not willing to stand up to the gangs. Taha leaves with Lola. Despite the chief saying sorry, Leito is angered by the excuses and kills the chief out of frustration by breaking his neck.
6 months later, Damien Tomaso, an undercover officer, completes a successful operation at an underground casino in Paris (led by Carlos Montoya), single-handedly taking down or gunning down the casino's guards and arresting the pit boss. His next assignment is briefed by Kruger, a government official. Taha's gang has taken a bomb from a nuclear transport vehicle and accidentally activated it, giving it 24 hours before it wipes out the district. Posing as a prisoner, Damien infiltrates the district to disarm the bomb. Leïto immediately sees through Damien's cover, but the two reluctantly team up to save Leïto's sister as well.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).