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Souleymane's Story film image; man in toque standing in a city street

Souleymane's Story

L’histoire de Souleymane

Panorama

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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

Director
Cast

Abou Sangare, Nina Meurisse, Alpha Oumar Sow, Emmanuel Yovanie, Younoussa Diallo, Ghislain Mahan

Credits
Country of Origin

France

Year

2024

Language

In French, Fulah and Malinke with English subtitles

18+

At International Village

19+

At Fifth Avenue

93 min
Action & Suspense Award Winners Drama
Unité

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Credits & Director

Producer

Bruno Nahon

Screenwriter

Boris Lojkine, Delphine Agut

Cinematography

Tristan Galand

Editor

Xavier Sirven

Boris Lojkine headshot; Souleymane's Story director

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

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