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EXCLUSIVE: Films Boutique has taken world sales rights on Chadian director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s new feature Soumsoum, The Night Of The Stars ahead of its world premiere in the Berlin Film Festival.
The drama was unveiled on Tuesday as one of 22 titles which will compete for Golden and Silver Bears in the main competition of the Berlinale’s 76th edition, running from February 12 to 22.
The drama unfolds against the backdrop of mountains of the Ennedi Massif in the northeast of Haroun’s native central African country of Chad, which carry the memory of a forgotten past and whisper ancient legends.
Kellou, a young woman from a nearby village, is troubled by haunting visions that set her apart from those around her. Her world shifts the day she meets Aya, an outcast rejected by the community. As the villagers turn against their growing sisterhood, Kellou must stand up for Aya and face the hostility of her own people, while fighting for their freedom.
“Through his career that spans over thirty years already, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun has established himself as one of the most acclaimed filmmakers from the African continent and we are particularly proud to continue our collaboration with him and his team,” said Films Boutique CEO Jean-Christophe Simon.
“Without revealing too much, Soumoum, Night Of The Stars is a unique film set in the stunning Ennedi Desert in Chad, often seen as the cradle of humanity. The story links ancient traditions with issues that still matter today. It explores contrasts such as old cosmologies versus monotheist religions, tradition versus conformity, and the tension between men and women. At its heart, the film also celebrates female sorority.”
The cast features Maïmouna Miawama, Ériq Ebouaney (Lumumba), and Achouackh Abakar Souleymane. Haroun co-wrote the screenplay with Laurent Gaudé’s who dystopian novel Dog 51 has recently been brought to the big screen.
The film is produced by Florence Stern at Paris-based Pili Films in coproduction with
Haroun’s Chad-based company Goï-Goï Productions.
Cinematographer is by Mathieu Giombini (Lingui, Lost Country, while Central African musician Bibi Tanga delivered the original score. The film will be distributed in France by KMBO.
Haroun is one of Africa’s most feted directors. His debut docu-drama feature Bye Bye Africa premiered in Venice in 1999, winning the collateral CinemAvvenire’ Award for best first film as well as a Luigi De Laurentiis Award Special Mention. He returned to the festival in 2006, with Daratt, A Dry Season, which won the Special Jury Prize.
Since then, nearly all his films have played in Cannes. A Screaming Man won the Jury Award in Cannes Competition in 2010, while Grigris and Lingui, The Sacred Bonds were also Palme d’Or contenders in 2013 and 2021 respectively
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