A Thousand Suns (2013)

Mati Diop's A Thousand Suns is the melancholy yet gritty story about the elderly actor, Magaye Niang, who thinks back on the girl he once fell in love with. She fled the country long ago, while Niang stayed. He is considering calling her. The actor was the star of Touki bouki. The director of A Thousand Suns is the niece of the director of Touki bouki (sadly, I haven't seen the latter film), Djibril  Diop Mambety. A Thousand Suns takes us to Dakar, where Niang herds cattle. The film opens with images of the choreography of the herding. It also takes us to a film screening, where the actor goes through the past with one of the other actors of the film. A Thousand Suns is alse set in a landscape of longings: as much as it points towards the past and Niang's decision to stay in the country, it points towards the future. The film's wistful feel is combined with rough images from Dakar. A Thousand Suns is a heartbreaking film.