When the participants for the esteemed Cannes Film Festival were disclosed, several well-known directors such as Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, and Todd Haynes, along with Cannes veterans like Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ken Loach and Nuri Bilge Ceylan, were revealed. Yet, towards the end of the line-up was the relatively unknown Ramata-Toulaye Sy, which could become a household name soon.
In an unexpected turn of events, the French-Senegalese director Sy became a part of the exclusive set of directors who have had the opportunity to contend for the Palme d’Or – the highest honour at the festival – with their debut film. This previously occurred in 2019 when Mati Diop and Ladj Ly, both having ties to Africa, secured second and third places, respectively.
Making a debut on such a prestigious platform can be intimidating. The spotlight at Cannes is intense, and unveiling a film requires a rigorous test that not even seasoned filmmakers can easily navigate. This is a great jump since Sy has only been to the festival as a student. But her talent is evident to anyone who has seen her short film, “Astel.”
Her debut feature film, “Banel & Adama,” portrays a young couple (played by Khady Mane and Mamadou Diallo) clashing with their society in northern Senegal, where Sy’s parents were born. Cast with non-professional actors who speak the local language, Pulaar, Sy shares that the film reflects her dual heritage and integrates storytelling traditions of both Europe and Africa, encapsulating “everything I know, everything I am, and everything that I love.”
Sy discussed her Cannes debut, streaming versus traditional cinema, and the condition of African filmmaking in a video call before the premiere of her film.
When asked about her film’s submission to Cannes, Sy revealed that it still needed to be completed when they sent it to Cannes. Still, to their delight, they were selected for Un Certain Regard (a separate competition known for showcasing new voices). However, they were informed the day before the press release that their film would be part of the main competition, which was a wonderful surprise for Sy and her team.
“Banel & Adama” originated from Sy’s end-of-studies screenplay at La Fémis, a film school in France. The script stayed dormant for a while as Sy focused more on scriptwriting before she was ready to direct. After directing the short film “Astel” in 2020, she moved on to producing a feature film in 2022.
Sy describes “Banel & Adama” as a tragedy that initially seems like a typical love story. Banel and Adama are a married couple deeply in love, residing in a remote village in the Fouta region of northern Senegal. However, their passionate love causes turmoil in their community, leading the story to focus more on Banel’s journey toward self-fulfillment.
The choice to set her first feature in Senegal was fueled by Sy’s deep connection to Africa and her commitment to narrating more universal and diverse stories about the continent beyond the narratives of poverty, war, and terrorism.
Having been raised between Paris and Dakar, Sy sees her dual nationality as instrumental in shaping her worldview and cinematic voice. In “Banel & Adama,” she confronts her dual identity, blending storytelling elements from African, Greek and European traditions and Afro-American magical realism and poetry.
She also shared her process of casting non-professional actors and how her film could reach audiences through streaming platforms, especially in regions where cinema is inaccessible or too costly.
According to Sy, Senegal’s rich cinematic heritage is returning, with more screens emerging since the 2010s and more women participating, marking a resurgence of its golden age. She is thrilled to be a part of this movement.
Sy looks forward to screening her film in Senegal and hopefully in the Fouta region, despite infrastructural challenges. However, she’s most excited about the film’s premiere at Cannes, expressing a mix of fear and exhilaration for the event.
Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s debut feature, “Banel & Adama,” is a thought-provoking exploration of love, societal expectations, and personal fulfillment set against the backdrop of Senegal’s vibrant culture. As the world waits for the curtains to lift at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Sy represents an exciting new voice in filmmaking, one that carries the potential to shape the narrative of African cinema in years to come.
