Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, a pioneer of African cinema, has died at the age of 84.
His daughter, Mariam Cissé confirmed his passing, “Papa died today in Bamako. We are all in shock. He dedicated his life to his country, to cinema, and to art.”
Cissé gained international recognition with Yeelen (Brightness), which won the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival—the first African film to do so. In 2023, Cannes honoured him with the Carrosse d’Or for his contributions to cinema.
A two-time winner of Burkina Faso’s FESPACO grand prize, Cissé was set to preside over the jury for the festival’s 29th edition this month.
In a 2011 interview, he urged young African filmmakers to seek financial independence, criticising reliance on European funding.
