ThefilmaccompaniesMagayeNiyang,astarofTouki-Bouki,a1972classicdirectedbyherownuncleDjibrilDiop.Followingthispath,wearewitnessofNiyangtraveltoaspecialscreeningofthefilm,whichhasapublicreleaseinhisoldtown.Niyangseemsdetachedandwithaheavylongingfromthepast,andtherefore,thefilmdebrispermeateseverythingwithunescapablesorrowandfascination. Diopfilmis,firstandforemost,anostalgictravelthroughmemory,timeandrecreation.Itisalsoawatermarkincontemporaryexperimentaldocumentary,averyintimateportraitofalostlongjourneythroughthepastthatisn’treturninganymore,adetachmentofrejectedfame,recognitionandconnectionwhichisheavilygroundedonalegacythatbelongstothepast,andthatconnectsdirectlytoacountry(Senegal)anditsheritage,whichissometimesfeelexcruciatingfortheoldones(atestimonysuchasthetaxisceneinthefilm,wherethecabdriverlongsforchanges,andclaimsthattheoldgenerationhaddonenothingforthat). MilleSoleils(AThousandSuns)and,initself,MatiDiop’scrucialtalent,shouldbeapointofreferenceintowhatcouldeasilybeoneofthemostinterestingproposalsofhybriddocumentarycinemawhichhascomefromFrance,andwhichdealswithastrongAfricanheritage.Since35Rhums,wheresheprovedheractresstalent,Diopseemslikeatruepromiseforthefollowingyearsofcinema.
