L'histoire de Souleymane

Souleymane's Story is a gripping and deeply human tale that sheds light on the struggles of asylum seekers in modern Paris. Directed by Boris Lojkine, the film follows Souleymane, a food delivery cyclist racing against time to prepare for a critical interview that could determine his future. In just 91 minutes, the narrative delivers an unflinching portrayal of survival, hope, and the emotional toll of uncertainty.

Abou Sangaré's performance is a revelation, capturing the vulnerability and determination of a young man caught between the harsh realities of his daily life and the weight of his dreams. The supporting cast, including Nina Meurisse, adds depth to the story, highlighting the fragile human connections Souleymane forms along the way.

Lojkine's direction is understated yet powerful, using the streets of Paris as both a backdrop and a character in itself. The cinematography immerses the viewer in the city's contrasting beauty and hostility, mirroring Souleymane's inner turmoil. The film's pacing is tight, and its realism leaves a lasting impact, compelling viewers to confront the humanity behind headlines and statistics.

Rating: 8/10 - A heartfelt and necessary exploration of resilience in the face of systemic challenges.

This film is a punch in the gut and frankly it should be mandatory in schools.

I rarely ever cry for movies, but felt like crying here although the flow and.the directorial angle is very matter-of-fact and realistic, not trying to unnaturally elicit emotions in the viewers.

Outstanding performance by the lead actor and the movie does a really good job at showing the different aspects of community at play here - the positive interactions and mutual help.with other asylum seekers and the.ruthless exploitation from other immigrants who have managed to successfully.achieve a legal status in France.

A humanist film. But, overrated to overreact against the rise of national far right leaders... So many series, and plateforme movies are better than this... I doubt the actor will be able to perform again on a theatre scene playing Beckett or Moliere... The story can be written on a stamp. Some critics compare it to the 1948 bicycle thief ! Nobody will watch this film in 70 years ! More articles were published on the personnal life of the actor who wants papers to stay in France than on the storyboard itself ! This film won't change anything on a political side, so it won't compensate its weakness as a movie.

A very sad and true story, that reconnects you with reallity. The type of reallity that is hard to admit is true. The reallity that happens everyday around us, but that is too unconfortable to aknowledge constantly.

I recently have been feeling very numb towards societal challenges, and this film surelly served as a reawakening. There is no where to run. This is the world we live in and pretending it doesnt exist doesn't make it any better.

Acompanied by superb acting, all characters make this film, to me, feel almost like a documentary.

My favorite movie of the year, and that I feel woll acompanie me through a long time.

A well rounded film where we get to witness an Asylum Seeker's life in a France for 3 days. Film does a great job portraying emotions and moral dilemma of the lead character who toils all day to just to pass his interview and get an asylum. We witness personal struggles of the character that brought him to France while preparing for his upcoming interview where he often receives contradicting advice on how to 'crack' the interview. The film can feel slightly cramped due to the range of struggles we get to witness that the lead character undergoes just within the period of 3 days coupled with the moral contradiction. I don't particularly have a criticism but probably wouldn't be my first pick for the Cannes Jury Prize but nevertheless a great watch.