Cycling through crowded Parisian streets while hustling as an illegal food courier, Souleymane has less than 48 hours to prepare for his asylum interview by rehearsing the details of his migration from Guinea between deliveries. Only, the story he’s desperately trying to memorize is a lie. Exhausted by the grueling grind of the gig economy and hopping between homeless shelters, Souleymane barely has the time—or the money—to meet with Barry, an immigration broker who promises that a fake story about political persecution in Guinea will guarantee asylum. Racing against time as he navigates the faceless bureaucracies and merciless systems fencing him in, Souleymane struggles not to lose himself in his pursuit of freedom.
Winning multiple awards at Cannes, Souleymane’s Story is a thrilling social realist drama centered around a virtuosic, heartrending performance from non-professional actor Abou Sangare in his debut role. An angry, tender film which is as gripping as any thriller.
Jury Prize, Best Actor, Un Certain Regard 2024
Supported by
Abou Sangare, Nina Meurisse, Alpha Oumar Sow, Emmanuel Yovanie, Younoussa Diallo, Ghislain Mahan
France
2024
In French, Fulah and Malinke with English subtitles
At International Village
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Bruno Nahon
Screenwriter
Boris Lojkine, Delphine Agut
Cinematography
Tristan Galand
Editor
Xavier Sirven
Boris Lojkine
Boris Lojkine, a philosophy graduate from the Ecole Normale Supérieure, left academia after his thesis to make documentary films in Vietnam, including Ceux qui restent (2001) and Les âmes errantes (2005). His first feature, Hope (2014), was presented at the Critics’ Week in Cannes and received dozens of awards in international festivals. In 2019, Camille won several awards, including the Audience Award at Locarno. His third film, Souleymane’s Story, was presented in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2024.
Filmography: Hope (2014); Camille (2019)
Photo by Leonie Lojkine
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
A Poet
When embittered poet Oscar Restrepo takes a job at a local high school, he meets Yurlady, a talented student from a poor background. Seeking to help her cultivate her art, he draws her into the poetry world — to disastrous and comedic results.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.
Spring After Spring
Three daughters strive to live up to the standards set by their mother Marie Mimi Ho, and keep Vancouver Chinatown's Spring Parade going through thick and thin, in this enormously affectionate local documentary by Jon Chiang.
Seeds
Shot over nine years, Brittany Shyne’s Sundance-winning documentary is a tender portrait of Black farming families in the American South. A moving meditation on land, legacy, and the strength it takes to hold on.
Sound of Falling
A remote German farmhouse is the stage for the mundane and magical experiences of four girls who call the foreboding place home at various intervals over the course of a century. In turns delicate and devastating, this is cinema at its most experiential.
Image: © Fabian Gamper
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.