The little girl who sold the sun | La petite vendeuse de soleil (1999)

Synopsis

A young, illiterate, disabled girl named Sili from a shantytown on the outskirts of Dakar decides one day to abandon her blind grandmother’s vocation of begging in the street and take up the physically demanding job of selling newspapers.

Being a poor and handicapped girl in a large West-African city guarantees a life full of hardship. But Sili is determined to take her fate into her own hands. She stops begging and starts to sell the newspaper 'le Soleil'. Although healthy boys dominate this business, she is immediately successful.



The atmosphere of the movie is slightly naïve; Sili successful stands up to policemen and even frees a woman who was imprisoned innocently. Although a bit fairytale-like, the girl Sili is indeed a worthy tribute to the street children of Dakar.

Cast: Moussa Baldé, Lissa Balera, Aminata Fall, Dieynaba Laam, Tayerou M'Baye, Martin N'Gom, Oumou Samb

Read about this film

Country: Senegal | France
Language: Wolof | French
Color: Color
Runtime: 43 min.