Tey (Aujourd'hui)

At the same time joyous, subtle and tragic, ‘Tey’ is a powerful fairytale, though the entire plot could easily have been scribbled onto something the size of a rolling paper. In a village outside Dakar, the gods – or the stars, or destiny, call it what you will ­– have spoken: Satché (played by the poetry slammer Saul Williams, who remains almost silent throughout but has an incredible physical presence) must die by the end of the day. Until nightfall, the film follows him making his goodbyes to those around him – his family, his friends, his lover, his children, his wife. That’s it. The synopsis is that simple, but director Alain Gomis handles the material delicately and intelligently. Initially fêted by his community with an enthusiasm tainted by melancholy, Satché, the one chosen to disappear, soon finds himself set apart from those closest to him, in beautiful scenes that seek to show those elements of friendship, desire, sadness, affection and anger that are usually left unsaid. ‘Tey’ is a revealing, humble philosophical fable, and reveals Saul Williams as an actor of rare talents.