Paulin Vierya Short films

C'était il y a 4 ans
1954, 5 min. French with English subtitles

Afrique sur Seine
1955, 21 min. French with English subtitles

Lamb (La Lutte sénégalaise)
1963, 18 min. French with English subtitles

Birago Diop, conteur (Birago Diop, Storyteller)
1981, 28 min. French with English subtitles

With an introduction by the curator of the evening Mosa Mpetha

The films of Paulin Soumanou Vieyra have some of the earliest documented reflections of African diasporic experiences on film. They are experimental and innovative in their mission to find a new post colonial filmmaking language. This chronological selection of Vierya’s short films demonstrates that even from the dawn of his plentiful career as a filmmaker and advocate for African cinema, Vierya provides strong foundations for African film pioneers to come. The film Birago Diop in particular is a beautiful example of a filmmaker protecting the legacy of another artist through this short documentary, it is like watching history within history. The filmmaker's son, Stéphane Vierya has also had an interesting and committed journey looking after and redistributing his father’s works, which will be explored in the event introduction. (Mosa Mpetha)