Boston French Film Festival - Souleymane's Story (L'histoire de Souleymane)

The Boston French Film Festival returns with an exciting lineup that captures the textures, tensions, and petits bonheurs (small joys) of contemporary French life. The festival opens with Three Friends, Emmanuel Mouret's bittersweet comedy about love, infidelity, and emotional entanglement among a trio of women. Catherine Deneuve leads The President's Wife, a sly comedy about politician Bernadette Chirac's bid to step out from her husband's shadow. Winner of the 2024 Jury Prize and Best Actor award in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes, Souleymane's Story is a gripping portrait of life on the margins. Holy Cow brings charm to the lineup with a tale about a teenage cheesemaker chasing a contest prize, while Night Call delivers high-stakes thrills as a locksmith races through Brussels during a night of unrest. Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte's sweeping new adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo reminds us that French cinema, like the country's literature, still revels in grand tales of betrayal, justice, and revenge.

Together, these films offer a vivid snapshot of a society in motion—ever-evolving while remaining rooted in the passionate pursuit of artistic and intellectual truth. Grab some French wine and cheese at Taste and join us for these evocative stories.

Schedule of Events:

7:00 pm–8:45 pm - Souleymane's Story (L'histoire de Souleymane)

Directed by Boris Lojkine (France, 2024, runtime 93 min.). French, Fulah, and Malinka with English subtitles.

Racing through the streets of Paris making food deliveries by bike, Guinean immigrant Souleymane (Abou Sangare) has just two days to prepare for a life-changing asylum interview. As he rides, he recites the story he must tell—a version of himself that may or may not be enough to convince an immigration officer (Nina Meurisse) that he belongs in France. But time is short, and Souleymane isn't ready.

A breakout hit at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Souleymane's Story won both the Jury Prize and Best Actor for first-time performer Sangare. Drawing comparisons to the Dardenne brothers and Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, Boris Lojkine's immersive drama offers a gripping, deeply human portrait of the undocumented experience in modern France.

"The best discovery of this year's Cannes Film Festival.  Souleymane's Story delivers a political fable with all the grit and urgency of a thriller." —Film Stage

"Sangare is magnetic … there appears to be no limit to how much soul and sensitivity the actor can bring." —Variety

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

Location: Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium (Auditorium 161)

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