As his student residency in Paris nears its expiration, 26-year-old El-Hadj Diop (Djolof Mbengue) must decide whether to return to Senegal or to stay in France illegally. Diop represents many young Senegalese citizens who traveled to Paris in the wake of the former colony’s break from French rule. Initially, he planned to secure his doctorate before returning to Dakar to teach history, but when Diop misses the deadline to extend his residency, he has a tough choice to make. Over time, he’s grown accustomed to life in the City of Light, enjoying the companionship of friends, a relationship with an artisan (Delphine Zingg) and access to first-world facilities, but that doesn’t mean it’s where he’s meant to be or where he can do the most good. Furthermore, he has a fiancée back home. Beyond rules and regulations, Diop must search his soul before he can figure out where he belongs.

Alain Gomis’ debut feature masterfully emphasizes the ambiguities of past and present identity.

HAFF 2013 offers its audience an opportunity to see all three feature films by award-winning French-Senegalese director Alain Gomis. In his work he has focused especially on feelings of identity loss. In contrast with many French film makers with immigrant backgrounds who depict estrangement in terms of violence, Gomis seeks to capture the inner worlds and processes of the characters. Their experience is used as a means to expose the ambiguous identities and search for inner peace. He approaches subjects poetically and breaking the rules of linear narration.

Gomis’ debut feature L’Afrance in 2001 won awards including the Silver Leopard in Locarno. In his next film Andalucia (2007) Gomis continued with the themes of immigration. His third feature Tey (2012) was awarded the Golden Stallion for the Best Film at FESPACO.

The film is screened with the support of the Cinémathèque Afrique of the Institut français.