Every second of Souleymane’s new life in France is precious. Having fled Guinea, his asylum interview looms. He powers through the streets of after dark Paris as a delivery rider, sleeps in hostels and prepares for his make-or-break appointment. Pressure builds as his date with destiny approaches. Boris Lojkine’s portrait of a modern migrant propels us into the precarious world of an otherwise invisible man. Steeped in compassion, Souleymane’s Story combines the pace of a thriller with the emotional gut punch of a social drama. An award-winning French production in which the dynamic storytelling is matched by a star-making performance from charismatic newcomer Abou Sangaré as Souleymane.
Winner of 4 César awards: Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for Nina Meurisse, Best Male Breakthrough for Abou Sangaré and Best Editing
Winner: Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Best Actor (for Abou Sangaré)
Irish Film and Identity on the big screen
Visions of an Otherworld is a season allowing viewers to see spiritual and mythical stories using the Irish language, telling contemporary and compelling stories that offer another world of Irish Film and Identity.
Irish culture has recently taken on a resurgence through literature, TV shows and particularly film, with Claire Keegan’s ‘Small Things like These’, Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ and Martin McDonagh’s ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’. These stories offer a view of Ireland’s filmic identity currently, but they are still being spoken in English and not Irish. In a 2023 interview during the BAFTA Awards, Irish actor Paul Mescal stated, "Broken Irish is better than clever English," as he and many other young people have become advocates for reclaiming their language through films. My season offers a unique blend of films, all in Irish language from the last decade, from young Directors, which offer unique but universal stories which hope to question what it means to be Irish in our current times.
In Ireland’s distant past, there were seanchaí (travelling storytellers) who ventured from village to village, sharing stories around a campfire, orally presenting Ireland’s strong storytelling heritage to bring communities together around a shared passion for their unique cultural identity. This passion for stories and language, when combined with the medium of film, blends together in current directors who are crafting stories that are trying to redefine what it means to be Irish. Colm Bairéad’s 2022 fiction film ‘The Quiet Girl’, Ciara Nic Chormaic’s 2022 documentary ‘Clouded Reveries’, Pat Collins’s 2017 biographic feature ‘Song of Granite’ and Tomm Moore’s 2014 animation ‘Song of the Sea’ all offer unique views of what it means to be Irish, as this new filmic identity comes of age.
Visions of an Otherworld is presented in partnership with the National Film and Television School. This programme has been curated by NFTS Film Studies, Programming and Curation student, Joseph Pidgeon.
