“Souls in the Sun” (original title: “Les âmes au soleil”) is a 1981 documentary short film directed by the late Safi Faye, who passed away on February 22, 2023, in Paris, France.
Per her wishes, Faye’s films are relatively inaccessible at this time. In brief, her experiences in the international marketplace led to her own decision to limit their distribution. And she maintained a healthy distrust of streamers and other online spaces. We covered this here.
The decision may be seen as a form of resistance or self-preservation. But it may also be seen as a loss or a missed opportunity for the film world, in the context of a body of work that’s considered a treasure of African cinema — hidden gems that are rarely seen or appreciated by the wider public.
“Souls in the Sun” was apparently a UN commission, made with the support of UNESCO and the French Ministry of Cooperation. As such, the UN has made the film available in its “Audiovisual Library,” with the following description: “This film presents a microcosm of Africa, south of the Sahara, a region afflicted by drought. Life is grim there: food production is a mere fraction of what it used to be; one doctor takes care, on average, of 200,000 people; half of the children die before the age of five; and while developed countries spend lavishly on prestige projects, millions starve every year. Today, after centuries of colonialism, destitution, and backwardness remain the lot of the African nations. The inequities prevailing in their world are one more stumbling block to development.”
A rather overly simplistic, even stereotypical description of a scenario that speaks of a continent as a country. Contrast that with Faye’s nuanced and humanistic portrayals of life in Senegal, providing a more balanced and holistic view of the “region” than the UN’s description suggests.
Alas, in context, this was 1981 (when the film was produced). Perceptions and narratives about “Africa” were even more oversimplified and stereotyped, especially in Western media, than they are today.
“Souls in the Sun” traveled, winning awards at the FESPACO festival, at the Chicago International Film Festival, and the UNESCO Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s a title that’s discussed very often, and may not reflect Faye’s own full vision, given that it was a UN commission; although that’s speculation. But it provides a glimpse into her oeuvre.
To be sure, Faye was not only a filmmaker but also an ethnologist. This background significantly influenced her approach to filmmaking, particularly in her documentary work like this one.
Thanks to Nikolaus Perneczky for the alert:
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