BEST OF FESTS

L’HISTOIRE DE SOULEYMANE

2024 / 92 min / color

French director Boris Lojkine’s film depicts two days in the life of a Guinean immigrant named Souleymane, who has come to Paris in search of a better life. He’s in a very real race against time, as his interview to apply for asylum is just two days away. He earns his living by navigating the jammed streets of Paris to deliver food, and has very little time to get the money for the documents he needs. On top of that, he has to memorize a fictional story about his escape from Africa to Europe; it has to be credible and poignant enough to win over an official and secure the documents that would allow him to stay in France legally. In his film, Lojkine gives a voice to the kind of people who aren’t usually allowed to have one. He depicts the difficulties migrants have to face every day in order to survive. This humanist story is reminiscent of the cinema of the Dardenne brothers in terms of its style and sensitivity to social inequality. The undisputed star of the film is Abou Sangare (an immigrant himself), making his film debut in the title role — he won the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival as well as the European Film Award for this performance.

• European Film Awards – Best Actor (Abou Sangare), Best Sound Design;
• Cannes IFF – Jury Prize, Best Actor (Abou Sangare) – Un Certain Regard;
• Jerusalem IFF – Best International Film;
• Pingayo IFF – Best Director