Yeelen
| Yeelen | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover | |
| Directed by | Souleymane Cissé |
| Written by | Souleymane Cissé |
| Produced by | Souleymane Cissé |
| Starring | Issiaka Kane Aoua Sangare Niamanto Sanogo |
| Cinematography | Jean-Noël Ferragut Jean-Michel Humeau |
| Music by | Salif Keita Michel Portal |
Release dates | May 1987 (premiere at Cannes) 14 April 1989 (USA, limited) |
Running time | 105 min. |
| Country | Mali / Burkina Faso / France / West Germany |
| Languages | Bambara, Fula |
Yeelen (Bambara for "brightness"/"light") is a 1987 Malian film directed by Souleymane Cissé. It is filmed in the Bambara and Fula languages, and is based on a legend told by the Bambara people. Though the era is undefined, it is presumably set in the 13th century in the Mali Empire and is a heroic quest narrative featuring magic and precognition.
It stars Issiaka Kane as Nianankoro, a young African man who possesses magical powers. Niamanto Sanogo plays Niankoro's father, who is tracking his son through the Bambara, Fulani and Dogon lands of West Africa using a magical wooden post to guide him.
Yeelen was met with wide critical success, and was awarded the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.[1] It was also nominated for the Golden Palm award for the same year.
Cast
- Issiaka Kane - Nianankoro
- Aoua Sangare - Attou
- Niamanto Sanogo - Soma / Djigui
- Balla Moussa Keita - Rouma Boll, Fula king
- Soumba Traore - Mah
- Ismaila Sarr - Bofing
- Youssouf Tenin Cissé - Le petit garcon d'Attou
- Koke Sangare - Komo chief
Accolades
References
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Yeelen". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema | 93. The Fourth Man". Empire.
Bibliography
Samuel Lelièvre, La Lumière de Souleymane Cissé. Cinéma et Culture, Paris, L'Harmattan, 2013 (ISBN 978-2-343-00201-9).
External links
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