Director's Biography
Son of winegrowers, Simon Panay ventured at the age of eighteen into independent cinema and was named Young Talent of the Year 2014 by ARP (the French Guild of Authors, Directors, and Producers), under the mentorship of filmmaker Gérard Krawczyk.
A pivotal encounter with Burkinabè documentary filmmaker Souleymane Drabo led him to begin working in West Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso, where he gradually developed his cinematic voice through documentary filmmaking.
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In 2016, he directed Nobody Dies Here, a powerful documentary exploring the world of artisanal gold mining. The film received widespread international acclaim—screened in 71 countries, and awarded 134 prizes.
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As a recipient of the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation Documentary Grant and the CNC’s Auteur Support Program, he spent five years creating his first feature-length documentary, If You Are a Man, shot in full immersion within a gold mine in Burkina Faso. Released in French theaters in 2023, the film was met with critical acclaim for its emotional depth and striking realism.
Director's Statement
Gold mines are places of myth, where the line between reality and legend dissolves. Gold is a Beast—one that must be hunted, tracked, and confronted in a deadly duel before it can be claimed.
During my documentary immersion, I witnessed the ritual that would later give birth to this film: the use of albino children, sent underground to sing. I was not permitted to film it—there was a fear that the spell would be broken. This film is as much a piece of reality as it is a dream, a personal vision of a world I have been capturing for twelve years, one that fascinates me as deeply as it unsettles me.
Synopsis
DRAMA, SHORT / 14' / 2024
Entrusted by his father to a group of gold-miners,
an albino child embodies all of their hopes.
Written and directed by
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Produced by
Astou Production
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Distributed by
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Languages: Wolof, French, Bambara
Subtitles available: English, French
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"A physical and emotional journey that can only leave a tangible and indelible mark on the viewer’s heart, mind, and retina"
Cine Clandestino
"A cinema that digs — into the earth and into the soul"
Taxi Drivers Magazine
“Original and powerful”
Bref Cinema
“Hauntingly beautiful”
Out in Canberra
“Claustrophobic, sweaty, and nerver-inducing”
The Contending
“A magnificent film whose uncompromising realism gives away to a subtle magical realism that is both deeply disturbing and moving. The cinematography and atmosphere, combined with a powerful story makes this short film a work of art”
Balinale Jury Statement
The Film Verdict
“Labour and mythology come crashing together in this disquieting short”
Crew
Writer and Director
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Producers
Souleymane Kébé (Astou Production)
Maud Leclair-Nevé (Astou Production)
Laetitia Denis (Bandini Films)
Rafael Andrea Soatto (Bandini Films)
Line Producer
Assane Diagne
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Director of Photography
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Casting Director
Iman Dijonne
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Editing
Simon Panay
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Sound Operator
Ousmane Coly
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Sound Editor
Vivien Roche
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Sound Mixer
Régis Diebold
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Music Composer
Philippe Fivet
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Main Cast
Production Companies
ASTOU PRODUCTION / Sénégal
Astou Production is a Senegalese film production company founded in 2019 by Souleymane Kébé and Astou Film, the mother production company established in 2007 by Eric Névé, Maud Leclair Névé and Oumar Gabar Sy in Gorée, Senegal.
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United by a shared passion for African cinema, Astou has supported the production of several acclaimed films, including The Pirogue by Moussa Touré and Wulu by Daouda Coulibaly. Together they work toward a common goal : to develop high quality cinema that embrace both artistic ambition and commercial and international appeal. They work on establishing long-term relationship with creative talents.
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In 2021, they produced the director’s debut of Ramata-Toulaye Sy with the short film Astel and then pursue with her first feature film Banel & Adama, which premiered in the Official Competition of The 76th Festival de Cannes.
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Bandini Films / France
After studying the art market, Laëtitia Denis began her career as assistant to renowned publicist Michel Burstein, then worked in programming at Wild Bunch Distribution. Over the following seven years, she held various positions in film production, including production assistant, post-production coordinator, and line producer.
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Starting out as a unit manager and later a line producer, Rafael Andrea Soatto began his producing career in 2015. His films have been selected and awarded at numerous festivals around the world.
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In 2018, they co-founded Bandini Films, a production company based in France, with the aim of building a strong local network while fostering international collaborations. They have produced several short films across a variety of genres, including La Saison Pourpre by Clémence Bouchereau, which was selected for Cannes Critics’ Week and won the André Martin Award for Best French Animated Short at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
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They are currently developing the debut feature of the director Simon Panay.
Contacts
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Bandini Films
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INTERNATIONAL SALES
Anaïs Colpin (Manifest Pictures)
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FESTIVALS DISTRIBUTION
Andréa Goncalves (Manifest Pictures)
andrea@manifest.pictures
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AWARDS PUBLICITY
Catherine Lyn Scott (London Flair PR)
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