Hommage d’une fille à son père: at the heart of Malian cinema

Picture of the film HOMMAGE D'UNE FILLE À SON PÈRE by Fatou CISSÉ © DR

Conceived as a documentary on Souleymane Cissé, Hommage d’une fille à son père looks at the life of the Malian filmmaker through the eyes of his daughter, Fatou Cissé. Screened at Cannes Classics, the film allows the director to walk in the footsteps of her father, Jury Prize winner in 1987 with Yeelen at the 40th edition of the Festival. Both father and daughter will be present to introduce the feature film to the audience.

Through the words of the friends, family and collaborators of Souleymane Cissé, the documentary focuses on his youth in Dakar, on his involvement in cinema as of Mali's independence in 1960 and on his films from the 1970s to today. Throughout his career the director has won a number of prizes and was a member of the Feature Film Jury at the Festival de Cannes in 1983, a sign of his international recognition.

 

Featuring a number of interviews with major figures in the world of cinema, such as the Senegalese journalist Baba Diop and the directors Costa-Gavras, Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee, these multiple points of view paint a sincere portrait of one of the pioneers of Malian cinema. Ahead of his time, his films with their trailblazing themes brought a lot to cinema, sometimes much to the chagrin of African political authorities and censors. Inspired and inspiring, Souleymane Cissé has long been a member of cinematic nobility: a life's work that can be rediscovered through the tribute of his daughter on the big screen.