Samba

"Sometimes those with nothing have the most to lose."

2014 1h 58m FR

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 1,003

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Samba migrated to France 10 years ago from Senegal, and has since been plugging away at various lowly jobs. Alice is a senior executive who has recently undergone a burnout. Both struggle to get out of their dead-end lives. Samba's willing to do whatever it takes to get working papers, while Alice tries to get her life back on track until fate draws them together.

“Sometimes those with nothing have the most to lose.”

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Cast

Omar Sy
Samba Cissé
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Alice
Tahar Rahim
Walid aka Wilson
Izïa Higelin
Manu
Issaka Sawadogo
Jonas Karanoto
Hélène Vincent
Marcelle
Youngar Fall
Lamouna, Samba's uncle
Christiane Millet
Madeleine

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Éric Toledano
Writers: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 6 languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Éric Toledano, shot by Stéphane Fontaine. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ludovico Einaudi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dorian Rigal-Ansous shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Omar Sy and Charlotte Gainsbourg and Tahar Rahim carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Sometimes those with nothing have the most to lose.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Éric Toledano directs. Stéphane Fontaine behind the camera. Ludovico Einaudi scores. Dorian Rigal-Ansous cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France. Dialogue in Arabic, French, English, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 12 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 6 languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian.
4Directed by Éric Toledano, shot by Stéphane Fontaine. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ludovico Einaudi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Dorian Rigal-Ansous shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Omar Sy and Charlotte Gainsbourg and Tahar Rahim carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Sometimes those with nothing have the most to lose.".
9IMDB entry: tt3399024 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 12 themes, including "immigrant", "paris, france", "language barrier", "insomnia".