Samba Traore

The only surviving accomplice of a gas station robbery gone bad, Samba Traoré flees the scene of the crime with a suitcase full of cash for his native village in rural Burkina Faso. There he attempts to make a fresh start while hiding how he came by his new fortune from those around him. Despite marrying the beautiful Saratou, earning the affection of her ten-year-old son, and opening a bar with his childhood friend, Samba’s newfound happiness is put to the test as he struggles to cope with the moral crisis of his crimes.

Considered a masterpiece of West African cinema – and recently named one of the top 10 films of all time in Luca Guadagnino's Sight and Sound list – Samba Traoré is a “taut study of guilt” (Film Comment), wrestling with both Samba’s desire for redemption and his fear of retribution. Silver Bear-winning filmmaker Idrissa Ouédraogo’s empathetic direction imbues the story with “extraordinary humility” (The New York Times), recognizing in Samba the many contradictions of modern life in Burkina Faso. Samba Traoré was selected for Locarno Heritage Online's Histoire(s) du Cinéma restoration program.

Restored in 4K, the 35mm original image and sound negative were digitized in high quality, digitally restored, and a new color grading was applied by Cinegrell. All the original elements are preserved at the Cinematheque Suisse on behalf of Waka Films.