Rêves de poussière

Rêves de poussière tells of Mocktar Dicko, a Nigerien peasant, who goes to look for work in a gold mine in northeastern Burkina Faso. He hopes to forget the past in this prison, where the bars are made of dust and wind.[1]

The film was the first full-length feature by Salges.[2] The project quickly secured Avance sur Recettes and GAN Foundation funding, and gained further French and European funding since the director had obtained Burkina Faso citizenship through marriage.[1] The film was a France-Canada co-production between Athénaïse – Sophie Salbot and ACPAV – Marc Daigle.[1] The associate producer was Sékou Traoré of the Burkina Faso company Sahelis Productions.[3]

A reviewer says the "opening shot reminds you of a choreographed musical—only there is no music, only silence and the sounds of workers’ tools".[4] Another critic says "Cinematographed by Crystel Fournier, images are hauntingly dreamlike. Wind-swept dust is a recurrent motif".[5] The film was nominated for the grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema - Dramatic category. It won prizes at Tarifa 2007, Amiens 2006 and Namur 2006.[6]

• Rêves de poussière at IMDb