THE STORY OF SOULEYMANE Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Boris Lojkine
Stars: Abou Sangane, Alpha Oumar Sow, Nina Meurisse, Mamadou Barry .
This moving but also often confronting slice of life film explores the experience of a young African refugee trying to establish a new life in Paris.
Souleymane (played by newcomer Abou Sangare, a nonprofessional actor in his first film role) is a refugee from Guinea who is hoping to gain permanent residency status to remain in France. He prepares for his interview with French authorities in two day’s time by trying to memorise the script detailing political persecution written for him by Barry (Alpha Oumar Sow), a former refugee who performs the same service for a number of refugees and migrants for a fee. He also works as a food delivery courier, riding his bike through the streets of Paris to earn enough money to survive. He is part of the gig economy which doesn’t provide stability or continuity. He spends most nights at various homeless shelters, except for those times when he misses the last bus and has to sleep rough on the streets.
The Story Of Souleymane has been written and directed by Boris Lojkine (Camille, etc), who explores the themes of alienation, the exploitation of immigrants, as well as the impact of the gig economy. He suffuses the material with the same sense of humanity, compassion, and realism common to the films of the Dardenne brothers. Lojkine and his cowriter Delphine Agut (Inshallah A Boy, etc) also researched the conditions of undocumented immigrant food delivery workers to shape the script and give it a sense of authenticity.
Lojkine and his cinematographer Tristan Galand (Letter To Theo, etc) employ handheld cameras and tracking shots to follow Souleymane and give the film a sense of energy and tension. There is no music soundtrack to accompany the drama as Lojkine wanted to capture the sounds of the street to enrich the atmosphere. Lojkine shows us a grimmer aspect of Parisian life. The film is almost documentary-like in its realism.
There are plenty of grim moments throughout – a small accident, not getting paid, waiting in queues, the fear of arrest and detention – but the film is also leavened with some lighter and more humourous moments through Souleymane’s interaction with other Africans on the streets and in the shelters. However, there are moments where the film’s action feels repetitive.
Sangane draws upon his own experiences as a refugee from Ghana to shape his performance, which won the Best Actor award at Cannes. He has a charismatic presence and is on screen for the duration, and he holds our attention. He inhabits the character and imbues him with a very real sense of vulnerability, anxiety and desperation. His silences convey so much emotion that sometimes dialogue is not necessary. Most of the cast consists of non-professional actors, which add to a more naturalistic vibe.
But the climactic scene in which he attends his interview and recounts his perilous journey to reach France is filled with some raw emotion and honesty. It seems like it was filmed in a single take which adds to the tension. The resolution to the film is ambivalent and will leave audiences to form their own conclusion as to Souleymane’s fate.
We’ve seen a number of other films exploring the harrowing experiences of refugees seeking a better life, including the fantastic and moving Io Capitano, and The Story Of Souleymane is another fine addition to this potentially rich, topical and important subgenre.
★★★☆
