Souli (film)
Encyclopedia
Souli is a 2004 Malagasy
drama film
written and directed by Alexander Abela and based on William Shakespeare
's Othello
. It follows Abela's 1999 film Makibefo, an adaptation of Macbeth
.
) is a young Spanish
student searching for the renowned Senegal
ese poet Souli, who may be the last griot
to possess the "Thiossan tale". Souli, based on Othello
, is working as a fisherman and living with a young French woman Mona (based on Desdemona
). Abela's version of the villainous Iago
is French trader Yann, who, helped by his girlfriend Abi, plots to destroy the lives of Souli and Mona.
and the 2005 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival. In 2005, it was nominated for the Grand Prix at the Paris Film Festival.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written and directed by Alexander Abela and based on William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
. It follows Abela's 1999 film Makibefo, an adaptation of Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
.
Plot
Carlos (based on Shakespeare's CassioMichael Cassio
Michael Cassio, or simply Cassio, is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Othello. The source of the character is the 1565 tale "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio; Cassio is unnamed in Cinthio but referred to as "the squadron leader." In the play, Cassio is a young and handsome lieutenant...
) is a young Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
student searching for the renowned Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese poet Souli, who may be the last griot
Griot
A griot or jeli is a West African storyteller. The griot delivers history as a poet, praise singer, and wandering musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
to possess the "Thiossan tale". Souli, based on Othello
Othello (character)
Othello is a character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's origin is traced to the tale, "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio. There, he is simply referred to as the Moor....
, is working as a fisherman and living with a young French woman Mona (based on Desdemona
Desdemona
Desdemona is a character in William Shakespeare's play Othello.Desdemona may also refer to:People* Desdemona , a soprano role in the 1816 opera Otello by Gioachino Rossini...
). Abela's version of the villainous Iago
Iago
Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's source is traced to Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio's tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi . There, the character is simply "the ensign". Iago is a soldier and Othello's ancient . He is the husband of Emilia,...
is French trader Yann, who, helped by his girlfriend Abi, plots to destroy the lives of Souli and Mona.
Cast
- Eduardo NoriegaEduardo Noriega (Spanish actor)Eduardo Noriega Gómez is a Spanish film actor, perhaps best known for his roles in two Alejandro Amenábar films, the multiple Goya Award-winning Tesis and Open Your Eyes . He also starred in The Wolf...
as Carlos - Aurélien Recoing as Yann
- Makena Diop as Souli
- Fatou N'Diaye as Abi
- Jeanne Antebi as Mona
Distribution and reception
Souli played at festivals including the 2004 Montreal World Film FestivalMontreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
and the 2005 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival. In 2005, it was nominated for the Grand Prix at the Paris Film Festival.