Sotigui Kouyaté Films December 6–9, 2012

Istanbul Modern Cinema, in collaboration with the French Cultural Institute, commemorates actor Sotigui Kouyaté with seven films. With a career stretching from the African continent to Paris the legendary actor, who passed away in 2010, was the leading representative of the West African oral culture of the griots –the caste of West African bards to which the Kouyaté lineage has belonged since the 13th century. Throughout his acting career, which started in 1966, the artist took part in numerous productions ranging from Shakespeare plays to the more experimental work he did with Peter Brook, his friend and mentor for over 20 years. Sotigui Kouyaté’s son, director Dani Kouyaté will be attending the program which includes the following films: 1982 Burkina Faso production The Courage of Others directed by Christian Richard, Genesis directed by Cheick Oumar Sissoko, Little Senegal directed by Rachid Bouchareb, and London River in which Sotigui Kouyaté costars with Brenda Blethyn and which earned him the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2009. Also screened in the program will be documentaries Keita! L’Héritage du Griot (Keita! Voice of the Griot) by his son Dani Kouyaté and Sotigui Kouyaté: A Modern Griot by Mahamat Saleh Haroun.