Q&A with Thierno Souleymane Diallo
Dir. Thierno Souleymane Diallo, 2023, France, Senegal, Guinea, Saudi Arabia, 93min, DCP
The first French language film directed by Mamadóu Touré in Guinea in 1953, Mouramani, is a landmark film. However, is the film still in existence? Thierno Souleymane Diallo is determined to find out, looking for anyone who has seen it, or knows where a print of it may be. Along the way, he meets archivists, former workers at now crumbling outdoor movie palaces and film professionals who may have seen it. Diallo, in addition to being an investigator, is also a satirist extraordinaire, tackling the legacy of colonialism on the streets of Paris with a sly wink. It is also a personal film, in which Diallo speaks with his mother about her expectations and his chosen profession. A major new documentary, coming off a 2023 festival run at Berlinale, CPH:Dox, Hot Docs, IDFA and DocLisboa.