Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, Senegal, 1954
SYNOPSIS
An African student sits at his desk, studying, when he hears a song from his homeland on the radio. Instantly, he is transported back several years to the moment when he was preparing to leave for France. As memories flood his mind, he begins to dance. Just then, his French girlfriend arrives to continue his classical music education. As he listens to the first classical record, his thoughts drift once again—this time, back to Africa.
BIOFILMOGRAPHY
Paulin Soumanou Vieyra (1925-1987) was a Senegalese filmmaker of Beninese origin and a historian of African cinema. He was the first Black African to be admitted to the IDHEC (Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques). Recognized as the first filmmaker from sub-Saharan Africa, he directed several films, including:
• L’Afrique à Moscou (1957),
• A Nation is Born (1961),
• Iba N’diaye, Painter (1982),
• LAMB (1963) – Selected at the Cannes Film Festival in 1964.