Alice Diop receives awards at Venice Film Festival
Alice Diop received two awards at the Venice Film Festival: Best First Fiction Film and the Silver Lion for Saint-Omer. She cited a quote from Audre Lorde: "Silence will not protect us," emphasizing the need to address the ongoing impact of colonialism on individual identities.Geste de Consolation project with Miu Miu
Diop is working on a project titled Geste de Consolation, created with Miu Miu for Art Basel. It includes sculptures, archives, performances, and texts by writers such as Zadie Smith and June Jordan, featuring voices from Séphora Pondi and Penda Diouf.Artistic collaboration and exhibition highlights
The exhibition includes a performance by Angel Bat Dawid and an adapted version of the ballet Prophétique by Nadia Beugré. A monumental bronze sculpture by Simone Leigh, titled Sentinel (Mami Wata), is featured at the end of the tour, depicting a female figure embraced by a serpent, symbolizing a West African spirit.Collaboration with Miuccia Prada
Diop discussed her collaboration with Miu Miu, which came from a discussion with Miuccia Prada. Initially surprised and fearful, Diop trusted Prada’s confidence and saw the project as an opportunity to explore new creative perspectives beyond filmmaking.Influence of Simone Leigh’s sculpture
The first "gesture of consolation" in the project was the inclusion of Simone Leigh’s sculpture, which moved Diop to tears when she discovered it in the United States. She wanted to give the French public a chance to see one of Leigh’s works, which had never been exhibited in France before.Personal and artistic trajectory
Diop described the project as part of a broader personal and artistic journey, beginning with a photo of Zanele Muholi that helped her reshape her self-perception. She views the journey as a series of detours that help her prepare for her next film, L’Afrique fantôme.Ethnographic archives and cinematic influences
Working with ethnographic archives, Diop referenced materials compiled by Caroline Blache for her film L’Afrique fantôme. These include early 20th-century films and anthropological records, helping her understand how Black women have been represented in cinema since its beginnings.Emotional library and space for reflection
The project includes a library named "Chambre à soi," inspired by Virginia Woolf’s idea of a room of one’s own. Diop highlighted the need for Black women to have their own space for creative and intellectual expression, a concept she explored in a previous performance at the Autumn Festival.Silence as a space for reflection
Diop emphasized the importance of silence as a space for internal reflection and imagination, inviting viewers to engage with the exhibition’s themes through contemplation and interpretation.Exhibition dates and access
The exhibition Geste de Consolation will be on display from October 21 to 25 at the Palais d'Iéna. Free entry is available, with online registration for guided tours starting on October 8.
