프로그램 노트

Program Note

Souleymane, a delivery rider cycling through the streets of Paris, is an immigrant who has just crossed over from Guinea, Africa. Souleymane's Story tracks him closely in the 48 hours leading up to his asylum interview. As he speeds through the noisy Paris streets, he repeatedly recites a fabricated story he obtained through a broker. The intense tale, filled with imprisonment and torture, is tailored to support his political asylum claim. To pay for the cost of this fabricated past, which is vastly different from his own, Souleymane works as a delivery rider using someone else's account. The film captures his 48 hours, blending the precarious life of a platform worker with the vulnerability of an undocumented immigrant, all with a sense of speed and urgency. The handheld camera follows Souleymane, highlighting the dilemma of his situation, which brings to mind the Dardenne brothers’ approach to social issues. After 48 hours, the film returns to its opening scene with a static interview, where the desperation and uncertainty of the preceding hours are conveyed in the stillness of the conversation. The confession Souleymane offers in response to the interviewer's request to hear his real story leaves the audience with a lingering question that stays with them. This film won the Jury Prize and Best Actor in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. (KIM Sun-myung)