(La petite vendeuse du “Soleil”). “This was to be Mambéty’s second film in a trilogy called Tales of Little People, but it is his last film (Mambéty died during its making). This is the only sad note, however, in this loving yet unsentimental ‘hymn to the courage of street children.’ Feisty and fearless Sili sets out to earn a living by hawking the newspaper Le Soleil (The Sun), the only girl in a sea of boys. She gets around on crutches and joins the many who live on the street—a community just as likely to be generous and supportive as brutal. Mambéty closes his masterpiece with ‘This tale is thrown to the sea. The first to breathe it will go to heaven.’ He left us this gift on his own way there.”

—Cornelius Moore, SFIFF 1999

• Written by Mambéty. Photographed by Jacques Besse. With Lissa Baléra, Taïru M'Baye, Oumy Samb, Moussa Baldé. (43 mins)

Preceded by:
Le franc
Djibril Diop Mambéty (Senegal, 1994)

“Le franc (SFIFF Golden Gate Award 1995) is Mambéty’s humorous first film in Tales of Little People. Marigo, a poor musician, has trouble making enough money to pay his bills—including his rent. His landlady takes her revenge by destroying his beloved musical instrument. Now Marigo must come up with money fast. He buys a lottery ticket and actually wins—but his troubles aren’t over yet. Behind Marigo’s richly colored dreams is a wealth of allegory about life in Senegal.”—Cornelius Moore, SFIFF 1999. Also screened in SFIFF 1995.

• Written by Mambéty. Photographed by Stephan Oriach. With Dieye Ma Dieye, Aminta Fall, Demba Bâ. (44 mins)

• (Total running time: 90 mins, In Wolof with English subtitles, Color, 35mm, From California Newsreel)