WULU Trailer from ArtMattan Films on Vimeo.

WÙLU

Shot for a good deal of the time using hand-held cameras, WÙLU is an African thriller that has an urgency and a vibrancy most Western made films lack.

Ladji, (a beautifully understated Ibrahim Koma), is the young man who, after losing his job on the cross-border taxis, takes up smuggling cocaine with lucrative if highly dangerous results.

A social commentary about the impact of corruption on intelligent, hard working African youths looking to improve their standard of living at home.

Official Selection TIFF 2016.

Directed by Daouda Coulibaly, 2016, France/Mali, 95min, crime drama, French w/ English subtitles

"In Wùlu, Malian cinema has found a promising and intriguing new voice." ~ Pamela Pianezza, Variety

"The film's foretold but very understated ending, which keeps a key moment offscreen to devastating effect, again confirms that Coulibaly is a talent to watch." ~ Boyd van Hoeij, Hollywood Reporter

"Coulibaly's Wùlu is a well-acted, fast moving, episodic depiction of some of the issues in contemporary Africa." ~ Alexa Dalby, Dog and Wolf

"A rags-to-riches crime saga like you won't see anywhere else." ~ Brent McKnight, The Last Thing I See

Demba is an African who has fled an oppressive regime in his own country and is seeking asylum in Paris. One night he encounters Lucien, a policeman from the Caribbean, who speaks to him in the voice of the dominant class. But in his country Demba is a professor of History and Geography while Lucien left school early to help his mother, a cleaning lady.

“YAFA Le Pardon” explores the social and economic dynamics at work in their relationship as they seek to understand each other, aided by Welcome, a Baule Komian who does not hesitate to officiate as the parties meet on the Quai de l’Oise, in the centre of Paris.

Directed by Christian Lara, France, 2019, 85 Minutes, drama, French with English subtitles

Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun, directed by Sam Pollard, is an illuminating documentary that captures the life and legacy of one of the most significant African American writers of the 20th century, Zora Neale Hurston. The film takes its audience on a journey through Hurston's eventful life, from her early years in Eatonville, Florida, to her pivotal role in the Harlem Renaissance. It delves into her works, her unique storytelling style that blended folklore with rich depictions of African American life, and her contributions to African American literature. The documentary also addresses the challenges Hurston faced, including her struggle with financial instability and her controversial viewpoints that often placed her at odds with the mainstream civil rights movement. Through interviews with scholars, contemporaries, and excerpts from her own writings, Pollard's film pays homage to Hurston's indomitable spirit and enduring impact on literature and African American culture.

Directed by Sam Pollard, 2008, USA, 84 Min, Documentary, English

"Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun is a moving interpretation of Zora Neale Hurston's life and career. In fact, a viewer can easily sit halfway through the eighty-four-minute film and forget one is watching a documentary," ~Project Muse

"Kudos to Bay Bottom News and American Masters for their professional production, and for bringing to light an amazing and long overdue story of a legendary icon and storyteller of the Harlem Renaissance and beyond,"~ Pennsylvania State University