Sira (film)

Sira is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Apolline Traoré and starring Nafissatou Cissé, Mike Danon, Lazare Minoungou, Nathalie Vairac and Ruth Werner. The film depicts the story of young nomad named Sira, who after a brutal attack refuses to surrender to her fate without a fight and instead takes a stand against Islamist terror.[1] It is a co-production between Burkina Faso, Senegal, France and Germany.

Sira
Promotional release poster
Directed byApolline Traoré
Written byApolline Traoré
Produced by
  • Apolline Traoré
  • Denis Cougnaud
Starring
  • Nafissatou Cissé
  • Mike Danon
  • Lazare Minoungou
  • Nathalie Vairac
CinematographyNicolas Berteyac
Edited bySylvie Gadmer
Music byCyril Morin
Production
companies
  • Araucania Films
  • Les Films Selmon
  • One Fine Day Films
  • Sunuy Films
  • Canal+
Distributed byWide International Sales & Distribution
Release date
  • February 21, 2023 (2023-02-21) (Berlinale)
Running time
122 minutes
Countries
  • Burkina Faso
  • France
  • Germany
  • Senegal
Languages

It had its world premiere on 21 February 2023 at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival,[2] where it won the Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film.[3] It was selected as the Burkinabé entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards. Burkina Faso submitted a film for the first time since 1989.[4]

Synopsis

The film set in the Sahel tells the story of a young Fulani girl, Sira travelling to meet her groom Jean-Sidi. Suddenly she and her family are attacked by Islamist terrorists. All the men are shot and the leader of the gang, Yéré takes Sira and rape her. Left for dead in the desert, Sira finds herself alone and take refuge in a cave as she weaves her survival plan.

Cast
Cast and crew of Sira at Berlinale
  • Nafissatou Cissé as Sira
  • Mike Danon as Moustapha
  • Lazare Minoungou as Yere
  • Nathalie Vairac as Aissatou
  • Ruth Werner as Kemi
  • Abdramane Barry as Jean Sidi
  • Ildevert Meda as Karim
  • Oumou Ba as Djamila
  • Seydou Diallo as Tidiane
  • Moïse Tiemtore as Faysal

Production

The film received grant from World Cinema Fund (WCF Africa Program) of €39,000 in November 2021.[5]

The lead actor, Nafissatou Cissé was selected out of more than 1,000 girls, who were auditioned. It was filmed in Mauritania, Northwest Africa.[6]

Release

Sira had its premiere on 21 February 2023, as part of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, in Panorama.[7] It is also invited at the 2023 Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, in competition.[8] On 14 February it was reported that Paris-based sales company Wide has acquired worldwide rights of the film.[9]

Reception

Vladan Petkovic reviewing for Cineuropa praised Nafissatou Cissé writing, "It is Cissé who grabs the audience with her all-out performance, making the film more poignant than a simple rape-revenge set-up." Petkovic appreciated the director Apolline Traoré and Cinematographer Nicolas Berteyac's "complex choreography of numerous characters, animals and vehicles that populate the wide shots". He praised editor Sylvie Gadmer, who he opined, "deftly combines them [shots] with intense close-ups," and composer Cyril Morin, for "mostly well-distributed score". For the film Petkovic opined,"Traoré has devised the story in a way that is both clever and honest", which is set in an exotic location "with a fierce African woman as a protagonist who fights back against all odds". He added, all that makes it a "rare African audience-friendly film to break out internationally."[10]

Accolades
Award Date Category Recipient Result Ref.
Berlin International Film Festival 25 February 2023 Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film Sira Won [3]
Amnesty International Film Awards 25 February 2023 Berlinale's Amnesty Film Prize Nominated [11]
FESPACO 28th FESPACO (2023) Étalon d'argent de Yennenga Won [4]
World Cinema Amsterdam 28 August 2023 World Cinema Exchange Award 2023 Won [4][12][13]

See also

References
  1. Traoré, Apolline (January 18, 2023). "Sira". Cineuropa. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  2. Abbatescianni, Davide (January 18, 2023). "The Berlinale adds new titles to Berlinale Special and rounds off its Berlinale Series, Panorama and Generation line-ups". Cineuropa. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  3. "The Panorama Audience Awards Go to Sira by Apolline Traoré and Kokomo City by D. Smith". Berlinale. February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  4. Prisca F. Konkobo (September 15, 2023). "Cinéma : le film « Sira » de Apolline Traoré représentera le Burkina Faso aux Oscars" [Cinema: the film “Sira” by Apolline Traoré will represent Burkina Faso at the Oscars]. 24heures (in French). Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  5. "Sira, Spielfilm 2021-2023" [Sira, Feature Film 2021-2023]. Crew United (in German). February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  6. Vena, Teresa (February 25, 2023). "Apolline Traoré • Director of Sira". Cineuropa. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  7. Ramachandran, Naman (January 18, 2023). "'The Siren' to Open Berlinale's Panorama Strand, Jafar Panahi, Joan Baez, Fan Bingbing, George MacKay Feature in Selections". Variety. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  8. Beti Ellerson (January 28, 2023). "African Women in Cinema : Apolline Traoré: Sira - Berlinale et Fespaco - 2023". African Women in Cinema. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  9. Leffler, Rebecca (February 14, 2023). "Wide acquires Apolline Traoré's Berlinale Panorama feature 'Sira' (exclusive)". ScreenDaily. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  10. Petkovic, Vladan (February 27, 2023). "Review: Sira". Cineuropa. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  11. "20 Berlinale-Filme Für Den Amnesty-Filmpreis 2023 Nominiert" [20 Berlinale Films Nominated for the Amnesty Film Awards 2023]. Amnesty International (in German). February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  12. Deen, Rolf (August 28, 2023). "World Cinema Exchange Award 2023". Inter–film. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  13. "Feestelijke afsluiting van 13e editie van World Cinema Amsterdam" [Festive closing of the 13th edition of World Cinema Amsterdam]. World Cinema Amsterdam (in Dutch). August 28, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
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