Review: The Story of Souleymane – Through the heart of Paris

Directed by Boris Lojkine
Starring Abou Sangare, Nina Meurisse

7/10

Winning the Jury prize, FIPRESCI prize, and Performance prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival is certainly noteworthy. More so when you consider that this is a debut performance from the lead actor, but the results certainly speak for themselves.

As a courier, Souleymane (Abou Sangare) races through the Parisian streets, and we gain an insight into his life as he prepares for an interview with a l’OFPRA agent (Nina Meurisse) that will determine his citizenship status.

As a viewing experience, The Story of Souleymane is a grind, and that’s exactly the point of the film. It’s an exercise in empathy as viewers are plunged into the experience of a refugee in Paris as they struggle to survive. The audience is quickly put on edge, and that is slowly ratcheted up through the course of the film.

We experience the consistent small pressures Souleymane is undergoing, that feeling of constantly moving, constantly hustling, constantly running behind. Everything is building through the course of those couple of days towards a crucial interview, and it all feels like it is inevitably crumbling despite his best efforts.

With such impetus placed on the central performance, it’s extraordinary how captivating Abou Sangare is in the lead. He’s the focus of every scene, creating the tale through a series of extensively dramatic two-handers, coming to a crux with his l’OFPRA interview.

For a debut performance, it’s raw and naturalistic, one that is obviously drawing from experience (Sangare has been denied French citizenship on three occasions). This lends a veracity that’s enhanced by the film’s guerrilla approach. The audience feels like they’re cycling the Parisian streets with Souleymane, because that’s exactly what the cameraman is doing. Beyond that authenticity, there’s a genial and caring character, forced to hustle due to the extreme conditions he is in. We empathise with him, despite his lies, despite his small-scale grift, because he’s just trying to survive.

The result may not be a comfortable watch, but it’s certainly a timely and powerful call for compassion. Exhausting, but captivating.

DAVID O’CONNELL 

The Story of Souleymane is showing as part of The Alliance Française Film Festival from Thursday, March 13 to Wednesday, April 16 at Luna and Palace cinemas. Please check the website for session times.