Abou Sangare, the charismatic lead actor in The Story of Souleymane, plays a role which mirrors his own life experience.
Like Souleymane, he has spent years in France as an illegal immigrant, repeatedly being denied his applications for asylum.
Now he has new hope for the future since director Boris Lojkine chose him to play the role of Souleymane.
Lojkine’s rivetting film has not only won Un Certain Regard awards for himself and Sangare at the Cannes Film Festival, but the extraordinary buzz around the film has led to Sangare’s being granted a temporary work permit.
Though he had no acting experience, Sangare is brilliant as the determined immigrant; homeless, faceless, battling to survive, but good-natured and optimistic.
Lojkines wanted to highlight the plight of France’s many undocumented immigrants but rather than make a documentary, he focused on one fictitious West African, Souleymane.
Souleymane works as a courier, cycling through the busy streets of Paris, delivering parcels and food.
It’s a frenetic life as he hurtles from crisis to crisis.
Because he has no work permit, he uses an account borrowed from the real owner, who takes a hefty share of his earnings and is slow to pay the cash he owes Souleymane.
It’s a daily battle with deadlines. If Souleymane is late with a delivery, the customer complains.
We see him having a run-in with the police, colliding with a car and damaging his precious bicycle, missing the bus which takes him to the night shelter where he sleeps.
The camera follows close behind as he pedals through the crowded streets, with cinematographer Tristan Galand also mounted on a bicycle, as is Lojkines – the only way the crew can keep up with Sangare as he dodges through city traffic.
Galand’s camera work is sensitive and perceptive, capturing Souleymane’s urgency and desperation as he races through the day.
In two days he is due to meet the immigration officer who will make the crucial decision on his future.
Meanwhile he is paying a broker to advise him on the system. The broker says his real story is not good enough to get him asylum and has given him a fake script involving torture and imprisonment which Souleymane is trying to memorise.
The film is fast moving, with all the tension of a a thriller.
The climax comes with Souleyman’s meeting with the immigration official, played by Nina Meurisse, who is efficient but not unsympathetic as he stumbles through his unconvincing story.
The Story of Souleymane is showing as part of the 38th Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, running in Perth until April 16.
Watch the trailer…
