Soussaba Cissé

Born in 1988, Soussaba grew up in Bamako in a family of filmmakers. After graduating high school, she continued her studies in Paris by enrolling at the Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma Français (C.L.C.F.). During this three-year program, she directed her first three short films: N’bah Muso and Tinyé Su, which she produced independently, and Seben Tan, her graduation film. After completing her studies, she interned on several sets in France and the United States (M6, TF1, and alongside Sembene Ousmane, Costa Gavras, Martin Scorsese). Since 2009, she has directed around a dozen short films addressing the ills of African society: female genital mutilation, undocumented migrants, immigration, skin bleaching, child beggars, war, and more. These recurring themes form the backbone of her life’s commitment to her homeland.

She is currently exploring the scourge of prostitution, seen by some as a migration solution to the West.

Promoting pride in traditional, family, and cultural values, advocating for change and highlighting African cinema as part of the world’s cultural heritage, are all fundamental goals of her work.

Château Rouge

Sélection Annuelle 2015

Adjaratou is caught in the trap of forced prostitution, recruited through cunning and Machiavellian tactics where the victims themselves become perpetrators— their only option for survival.