Life on Earth

""Europe is not my center. Europe is on the outskirts!""

1998 1h 1m FR

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 15

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Just before the turn of the 21st century, Drahmane returns to his father's village in Sokolo, Mali. A contemplative bike stroll around town makes him reflect on the significance of time passing at the dawn of a new millennium. As everybody goes on with their daily tasks, Sokolo might as well be the center of the world. The film earned Sissako awards at the Fribourg International Film Festival, the Ouagadougou Panafrican Film and Television Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival.

“"Europe is not my center. Europe is on the outskirts!"”

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Cast

Abderrahmane Sissako
Dramane
Nana Baby
La jeune fille
Mohamed Sissako
Le Père
Bourama Coulibaly
Le Photographe
Keita Bina Gaousso
Le Receveur Poste
Mahamadou Dramé
L'Opérateur Poste
Moussa Fofana
L'invité Radio
Keita Kagny
L'ami du photographe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Abderrahmane Sissako
Writers: Abderrahmane Sissako
Languages: Bambara, French
Countries: Mali, France, Mauritania

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

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 61-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Bambara, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Mali, France, Mauritania.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, shot by Jacques Besse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nadia ben Rachid 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

Abderrahmane Sissako and Nana Baby and Mohamed Sissako carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""Europe is not my center. Europe is on the outskirts!"".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Abderrahmane Sissako directs. Jacques Besse behind the camera. Nadia ben Rachid cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Mali, France, Mauritania. Dialogue in Bambara, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 61-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
228 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Bambara, French.
4International production across 3 countries: Mali, France, Mauritania.
5Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, shot by Jacques Besse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Nadia ben Rachid shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Abderrahmane Sissako and Nana Baby and Mohamed Sissako carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: ""Europe is not my center. Europe is on the outskirts!"".
9IMDB entry: tt0157160 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 15 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.