Souleymane is an asylum seeker from Guinea living in Paris, forced to join the daily rush for a bed in a homeless shelter. Unable to work legally, he earns some money by ‘renting’ someone else’s work profile on a food delivery app. He also pays a fellow Guinean to coach him in a false story seen as more likely to pass an imminent asylum review. But it’s clear Souleymane’s true home situation is taking a constant emotional toll as he navigates the streets of Paris alone.
Anchored by an extraordinary lead performance from Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story is a raw, compassionate and quietly devastating story about one man forced to live precariously on the fringes of society.
Dir: Boris Lojkine
Cast: Abou Sangare, Nina Meurisse, Alpha Oumar Sow
Festivals:
Cannes Film Festival, 2024
Awards:
Winner – Un Certain Regard – Best Performance (Abou Sangare) – Cannes Film Festival, 2024
Winner – Best European Actor (Abou Sangare) – European Film Awards, 2024
Reviews:
“★★★★ Abou Sangare takes a gold medal for standout lead performance of the year… He is mesmerising as the titular refugee.” – Hilary White, Irish Independent
“With empathetic yet unsentimental means, Lojkine gracefully explores both the insurmountable pressures of the asylum-granting system and the precarious conditions of the gig economy.” – Marina Ashioti, Little White Lies
