Small Country: An African Childhood (Petit Pays)
Date & Time: Saturday September 4th / 3.30pm
Location: The Gate Cinema
Details: Eric Barbier / France, Belgium / 2020 / 113 mins
Starring: Jean-Paul Rouve, Djibril Vancoppenolle, Dayla De Medina
Awards: Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay – César awards 2021
Synopsis: This memoir of childhood is adapted from the bestselling book by Gaël Faye and narrated by Gabriel aged 10, a joyful child living in a nice neighbourhood in Burundi. Set in 1993, the tensions in neighbouring Rwanda spill over, made doubly complicated by the fact that his mother is Rwandan and his father is French. Gabriel (newcomer Djibril Vancoppenolle) is a happy young boy who enjoys his carefree existence of going to school and playing with his friends. Such days are not to last as the conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups starts to spill over into Burundi. A powerful story of conflict viewed through a child’s eyes.
“Small Country is probably the best cinematographic adaptation possible made about this wonderful novel from the rappeur, composer and author Gaël Faye” – Le Monde.
Presented with the support of the French Embassy in Ireland and Institut Français.
