Souleymane's Story (12A)

(Subtitled)

A Guinean in Paris seeks the perfect tale to secure asylum in Boris Lojkine’s affecting migration drama.

Migration has been a hot topic in recent European cinema, and Souleymane’s Story joins the conversation with propulsive focus. Set in Paris, it follows Souleymane, an undocumented Guinean man preparing a fabricated asylum narrative while scraping by on endless gig work. Coached by Barry, he navigates precarity, small kindnesses and quiet threats. Rather than big drama, the film’s power comes from its accumulation of lived, urgent moments.

At the centre is Abou Sangaré, a 24-year-old first-time actor whose own history as an undocumented immigrant was woven into the script after he was discovered during an open casting call. His performance is remarkable in its naturalism. It is steady, vulnerable, and free of affectation. He carries the film with an authenticity that can’t be faked, giving the drama its emotional force. Lojkine’s direction is restrained but attentive, giving modest moments of strength and solidarity room to land.

In the end, this is not just a portrait of hardship but a deeply human account of persistence, fronted by someone who has walked the path himself.