La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil
7.4 /10 1 Votes
Director Djibril Diop Mambety Film series Tales of Ordinary People Duration Country Senegal | 7.2/10 IMDb Genre Drama, Family Music director Wasis Diop Writer Djibril Diop Mambety Language Wolof | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date February 1, 1999 (1999-02-01) (International Film Festival Rotterdam) Cast Lissa Balera, Aminata Fall, Tairou M’Baye, Oumou Samb, Dieynaba Laam, Moussa Balde, Martin N’Gom Similar movies Senegal movies, Movies about newspapers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil (or The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun) is a 1999 Senegalese short drama film, directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty which premiered posthumously after his death in 1998.
Contents
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil is a film exalting the lives and promise found among ordinary Senegalese. It depicts a young beggar girl, Sili, who on crutches, confidently makes her way through a city of obstacles, becoming the first girl to sell a daily newspaper in the competitive world of young male newspaper vendors. Mambéty dedicated this last film to "the courage of street children". The scenes are expertly played by non-professional actors and with the participation of the street children.
It was screened as part of the International Forum of New Cinema section at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival in 1999.
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil was originally intended as the second film of a trilogy under the title, Tales of Ordinary People. However, Mambety’s untimely death in 1998 prevented the completion of the third film.
Synopsis
In Dakar, selling newspapers on the street is an occupation always occupied by boys. But one morning, Sili, a young beggar, challenges that exclusive rule. Her age is uncertain, between 10 and 13, and she walks the streets with the help of her crutches. She begs for help in the same spot the boys sell their papers, but today they attack her and she falls, rolling over and over. That’s it; she too will sell newspapers starting tomorrow.
Cast
Release
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil debuted on 1 February 1999 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and opened in other film festivals on the dates given below.
Home Release
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil (The Little Girl who Sold the Sun) was released on DVD coupled with Le Franc and is distributed by California Newsreel Productions.
Critical Response
Critical response to the film was mostly positive. Reviewer for The New York Times, A.O. Scott described the film as a "masterpiece of understated humanity".
Accolades
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil earned various awards and nominations, with the nominations in categories ranging from recognition of the film itself to its screenplay, direction and editing, to the performance of the lead actor, Lissa Balera. It was selected as one of the ten best films of 2000 by the Village Voice.
References
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil WikipediaLa Petite Vendeuse de Soleil IMDb La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil themoviedb.org