Souleymane Cissé passed on last week in Bamako, Mali. He was 84. “Papa died today in Bamako. We are all in shock. He dedicated all his life to his country, to cinema and to art,” his daughter Mariam Cissé, said, confirming his death.
Cissé was a film writer, producer and director, and his filmography includes films such as Cinq jours d’une vie, Den muso, Baara, Finye, Yeelen, Waati, L’aspirant, Source d’inspiration, Dégal à Dialloubé, Fête du Sanké, L’homme et ses idoles, Chanteurs traditionnels des Iles Seychelles, and Tell Me Who You Are.
Here are 10 things to know about the great Malian filmmaker’s life, career, and legacy.
1. Cissé Worked on the Documentary of Congolese Leader Patrice Lumumba
Souleymane Cissé was born on 21 April 1940 in Bamako, Mali. He was raised in a Muslim family, and attended secondary school in Dakar, while returning to Mali in 1960 after national independence.
He developed an interest in cinema from a young age, and worked as an assistant projectionist on a documentary covering the arrest of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba.
After this, he developed a passion for filmmaking and went on to study filmmaking in Russia during the Soviet Union.
2. He Studied Filmmaking in the Soviet Union
In the early 1960s, Cissé received a scholarship to study at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, the Moscow school of Cinema and Television.
While in Moscow, he developed the filmmaking skills. And after school, he returned to Mali in 1970, where he began working for the Ministry of Information as a cameraman producing documentaries and short films.
In 1972, he produced his first medium-length film, Cinq jours d’une vie (Five Days in a Life), which tells the story of a young Qur’anic school dropout who becomes a petty thief. The film premiered at the Carthage Film Festival.
3. His First Feature Film Led to His Arrest
After Cinq jours d’une vie (Five Days in a Life), Cissé soon moved into feature filmmaking with Den Muso (The Girl) in 1974.
The film tells the story of a mute girl who is raped and becomes pregnant while being rejected by her family. It was also controversial, and the Malian government banned the film. Cissé was arrested on the charge of accepting French funding, though the real reason for his detention was never confirmed.
He was jailed and while he was in prison, he wrote the screenplay for his next project, Baara (Work). Cissé released the film four years later, as it won the Yenenga’s Talon prize at FESPACO in 1979. Baara is a film about corruption and labour exploitation.
4. He Was a Two-Time Winner of FESPACO’s Top Prize
Cissé created history at the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), as he won the festival’s Étalon d’Or de Yennenga (Golden Stallion of Yennenga) prize twice, becoming one
Cissé’s 1978 film Baara won the Yenenga’s Talon, and he repeated the same achievement in 1983 with his film, Finyé (Wind), which tells the story of a student-led uprising against an authoritarian regime.
5. His Film, ‘Yeelen’ Made History at Cannes
Cissé’s 1987 film Yeelen (Light) won the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, making it the first African film to receive such an honour, as Cissé also became the first African filmmaker to win at the festival.
Yeelen tells the story of a young man who embarks on a spiritual journey to confront his father. The film was also nominated for the Golden Palm award for the same year, and was ranked 94 in Empire magazine’s The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema in 2010.
6. He Tackled Social and Political Issues in His Films
Throughout his career, Cissé used his films to address societal issues. His films tackled topics such as military violence, corruption, trade unionism, and the struggles of women and youth in African societies.
His films, such as Baara and Finyé, focused on struggles and political oppression, and others like O Ka (Our House) explored personal and family conflicts, particularly the impact of polygamy and inheritance disputes, and Den Muso focused on women’s rights.
7. His Younger Brother is Film Director Alioune Ifra Ndiaye
Cissé’s family has also been involved in the film industry. His younger brother is film director Alioune Ifra Ndiaye.
Ndiaye co-wrote and produced five shows in the kotèba theatrical tradition, and his group, BlonBa theatre troupe gave performances in Senegal, Benin, France and Belgium.
Ndiaye directed documentaries, fiction films, and music videos. His projects include Taane, and Bama Saba. Ndiaye also directed a show called Taynibougou, la cité des profiteurs, criticizing the level of corruption in Mali.
8. He Was an Advocate for African Filmmakers
Beyond his own films, Cissé was an advocate for the African film industry. He served as the president of the Union of Creators and Entrepreneurs of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts of Western Africa (UCECAO), working to support African filmmakers.
On the morning of his death, Cissé even urged Mali’s military leaders to support the development of the country’s film industry. He said at a news conference: “It is not enough to make cinema; the works must also be visible. May the authorities help us with the construction of cinemas. This is the appeal I make to them before my death, if God wills it.”
9. His Cannes Carrosse d’Or Award Was Stolen from His Home
In 2023, Cissé received the Carrosse d’Or (Golden Coach) award at the Cannes Film Festival, a recognition given to filmmakers for their contributions to cinema.
However, the award was reported stolen from his home in Bamako on 29 April 2024. Its disappearance caused outrage in Mali, with calls for collective efforts to recover the trophy.
10. He Passed Away Before Chairing FESPACO Jury
Cissé died on 19 February 2025 in a Bamako clinic at the age of 84. At the time of his passing, he was set to chair the Fiction Feature Film jury at the 29th edition of FESPACO, which was scheduled to take place from 22 February 2025 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
According to an Al Jazeera’s report, Cissé was scheduled to board a plane to Burkina Faso to head the FESPACO festival.
