Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars
| Soumsoum, The Night Of The Stars | |
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| French | Soumsoum, la nuit des astres |
| Directed by | Mahamat-Saleh Haroun |
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| Produced by | Florence Stern |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Mathieu Giombini |
| Edited by | Svetlana Vaynblat |
| Music by | Bibi Tanga |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
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Soumsoum, The Night Of The Stars (French: Soumsoum, la nuit des astres) is a 2026 drama film directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, co-written by Haroun and Laurent Gaudé. Set in the Ennedi mountains of northeastern Chad, it follows Kellou (Maïmouna Miawama), a teenager girl haunted by visions she does not understand.[1]
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on 19 February 2026,[2] where it won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film. It will be theatrically released in France by KMBO on 22 April.
Premise
A young woman troubled by visions befriends a village outcast, and together they face hostility from their community while fighting for freedom and belonging.
Cast
- Maïmouna Miawama as Kellou
- Ériq Ebouaney as Garba
- Achouackh Abakar Souleymane as Aya
Production
The film was written by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun in collaboration with Laurent Gaudé. It is produced by Florence Stern for Pili Films in co-production with Haroun's Chad-based banner Goï-Goï Productions.[3][4]
The project received support from the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) through its advance on revenues scheme and backing from the Red Sea Fund. It was pre-purchased by Ciné+ OCS and TV5 Monde.[1]
Cinematography is by Mathieu Giombini, with an original score composed by Central African musician Bibi Tanga. World sales are handled by Films Boutique and French distribution is handled by KMBO.[3][4]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on 19 February 2026, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear.[2][5]
References
- ^ a b "Mahamat-Saleh Haroun sets his sights on the Berlinale with Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 2026-01-27. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ a b "Soumsoum, la nuit des astres | Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars | Berlinale". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ a b Goodfellow, Melanie (2026-01-20). "Films Boutique Boards Berlin Competition Title 'Soumsoum, The Night Of The Stars'". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ a b "Soumsoum, The Night of the Stars (Soumsoum, la nuit des astres)". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "The Berlinale unveils the films set to lock horns in its Competition and Perspectives sections". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 2026-01-20. Retrieved 2026-02-05.