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# Restored Short Films by and About Djibril Diop Mambéty, a Giant of African Cinema
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/restored-short-films-by-and-about-djibril-diop-mambety-a-giant-of-african-cinema/
- Published: 2021-02-16T20:18:58.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T15:38:14.000Z
- Description: Metrograph is streaming two shorts by the Senegalese director, as well as Laurence Gavron's documentary about his process.
- Author: Dan Schindel
- Tags: Film, Documentary, Events, Metrograph, New York, Senegal, Streaming, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 09:11 (2021, 2022, part 1)

Despite having made only two features and a handful of shorts, Senegalese director [Djibril Diop Mambéty](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0228013/?ref=hyperallergic.com)is an influential figure in African cinema, particularly thanks to the offbeat classic [*Touki Bouki*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070820/?ref%5F=nm%5Fknf%5Fi1&ref=hyperallergic.com). In the 1990s, Mambéty was working on “Tales of Ordinary People,” a trilogy of short films. Unfortunately, only the first two installments, *Le Franc* (1994) and *The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun* (1999) were completed before his untimely death, with the latter being released posthumously. These two shorts recently received 2K restorations by Waka Films, with the support of the Institut Français — Cinémathèque Afrique and the CNC at Éclair Laboratories.

Now Metrograph is making these restorations available to stream. Alongside them will be another short, the documentary *Ninki Nanka, the Prince of Colobane* (1991), directed by Laurence Gavron. Gavron's first film, it was intended as a making-of about Mambéty's second feature, *Hyenas* (1991), but she instead made it into an intimate profile of the multi-talented writer, director, poet, actor, and producer.

[*Le Franc* and *The Little Girl Who Sold The Sun*](https://metrograph.com/live-screenings/little-girl-who-sold-the-sun-le-franc/?ref=hyperallergic.com) will stream together, with [*Ninki Nanka*](https://metrograph.com/live-screenings/ninki-nanka-the-prince-of-colobane/?ref=hyperallergic.com) separate. The films will be available on demand for Metrograph members.

**When**: February 19 - March 4  
**Where**: Online

*More* [*info available*](https://metrograph.com/live-screenings/little-girl-who-sold-the-sun-le-franc/?ref=hyperallergic.com) *via the* [*Metrograph website*](https://metrograph.com/live-screenings/ninki-nanka-the-prince-of-colobane/?ref=hyperallergic.com)*.*