Paulin Soumanou Vieyra


Paulin Soumanou Vieyra was a Beninese/Senegalese film director and historian. As he lived in Senegal after the age of 10, he is more associated with that nation.

Background

He was born in Porto Novo, Benin, and educated in Paris, France, where he studied at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques. In 1955 in Paris he shot the first Francophone African film, Afrique sur Seine. His other important achievements for film in Africa include founding the "Fédération panafricaine des cinéastes" in 1969.
In 1971 he was a member of the jury at the 7th Moscow International Film Festival. Two years later, he was a member of the jury at the 8th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1985 he was a member of the jury at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival.
He died in Paris in 1987, at the age of 62.

Personal life

In 1961 he married poet Myriam Warner of Guadeloupe. One of his sisters is Justine Vieyra, born in Parakou.

Works

Films