Programmed January 2025

100 Years of Paulin Soumanou Vieyra

Overlooked for too long, Paulin Soumanou Vieyra (1925–1987) should be seen as one of the most important and influential figures in the development of African cinema. Born 100 years ago in Benin and later based in Senegal, Vieyra was one of the first Black Africans to direct a film, Africa on the Seine , a moving and thoughtful documentary about young Africans studying in Paris. His later works included Lamb , a revelatory and stirring study of beachside Senegalese wrestling; Birago Diop, conteur , about the eponymous poet and storyteller; and Behind the Scenes: The Making of “Ceddo,” a firsthand document from the set of Ousmane Sembène’s revolutionary classic. In addition to his filmmaking, Vieyra was founder of the Fédération Panafricaine des Cinéastes and a crucial mentor to key filmmaking figures like Sembène, Djibril Diop Mambéty, and Ababacar Samb-Makharam. Special thanks: Black Film Center & Archive of Indiana University and African Film Festival, Inc.

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