
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
Giant
This was the Yellowstone of its time: a big, sweeping modern Western built around an imposing ranch and family dynamics -- except Giant is much more subversive. James Dean strikes it rich as Jett Rink, much to the disgust of his former boss, Rock Hudson.
Familiar Touch
A loving portrait of an octogenarian transitioning into an assisted living facility, this award-winning first feature by choreographer Sarah Friedland has a simplicity and warmth that's exceptionally poignant.
Super Happy Forever
This beguiling film depicts a man’s return to the Japanese seaside town where he met his now-deceased wife five years earlier. He tries to relive the past, and in the film's final section -- a flashback to 2018 -- the audience is afforded that privilege.
A Streetcar Named Desire
"I don't want realism. I want magic!" declares Blanche du Bois, the tragic heroine who meets her nemesis in her sister's husband, Stanley Kowalski, in Tennessee Williams' great play. Brando's performance as Stanley is a turning point in American acting.
Georgia O'Keeffe: the Brightness of Light
Drawing on her copious correspondence and the world's leading scholars, this is a definitive documentary on the life and work of "the mother of American Modernism."