Djeliya, Memory of Mandingo
Boubacar Sangaré
Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, France | 2026 | 112 min
World premiere
Language : Dyula
Subtitles : French, English
Happy are those who, like Sekou, have had a great journey. A storyteller like his parents, he perfects his apprenticeship on a pilmigrage through West Africa before returning home. The journey puts his vocation to the test and examines the need for this ancient art in modern society. Throughout his odyssey, the ancient legend of Sundiata accompanies and guides him.
Sékou is unsure whether he is right to follow in the footsteps of his parents, former djelis – the Mandinka term used to designate a griot. Djeliya, mémoire du Mandé follows him on a journey across West Africa to complete his apprenticeship. From Mali, where he leaves behind his wife and their troubled marriage, he crosses the territories of the Mandinka people. This road movie confronts us with the challenges Sékou faces in practising his oral-tradition art in a society where everything is written and published in real time. It also immerses us in the history of its memory, calling forth its past figures through the testimonies and archives of filmmaker Dani Kouyaté, writer Dany Laferrière and historian Djibril Tamsir Niane. Sékou’s epic tale is echoed by a legend: that of Sundiata Keita, who defeated King Soumaoro Kanté and established the Kingdom of Mali. As their paths converge, their journeys illuminate each other.
Raphaëlle Pireyre
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Screenings and tickets
Thursday 23 April 2026 20:30
Grande Salle, Nyon
In the presence of the director
Saturday 25 April 2026 13:30
Grande Salle, Nyon
Photography
Isso Emmanuel Bationo
Editing
Gladys Joujou
Sound
Seydou G. Porgo
Music
Baba Sissoko
Production
Mamounata NikiémaPilumpiku ProductionJules DavidLadybirds FilmsAndré Samoute DiarraDS ProductionSouleymane KebeSunuy FilmsFranck VlehiLully Grace Productions
Sales contact
Mamounata Nikiemapilumpikuproduction@gmail.com
