My dream was to set up a film school in Dakar, she tells Deadline.
Diop made history that year in Cannes as the first Black woman to compete in the festivals official competition.
Along with thousands of others, the artifacts were plundered by French colonial troops in 1892.
Mati DiopJens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images.
The company is the result of Diops initial film school ambitions.
Very little information has been published about the company and its strategy until now.
DEADLINE: The name Fanta Sy.
Fabacary Assymby Coly and Mati Diop with their ‘Dahomey’ producers Eve Robin and Judith Lou LévyAndreas Rentz/Getty Images
What does it mean and why did you choose it?
MATI DIOP: I chose the name the same way I usually find the title of a film.
A title should announce the color and evoke a story.
Fanta Sy has many inspirations.
Fanta is also the first name of one of the characters inAtlantique.
Im guessing the surname Sy rings a bell.
Fanta Sy is also Fantasy, which suggests a particular sensitivity to genre.
Whether real or fictional, wed like to encourage films that carry a vision and assume a formal ambition.
DEADLINE: Mati and Fabacary, how did you first meet?
FABACARY ASSYMBY COLY: I cant remember.
Lol
DIOP: Me neither, which probably means weve been working together for a long time.
As the writer and director, I was very much involved in the production.
Fabacary held several positions: production manager and assistant director.
Our collaboration worked well and was fluid.
DEADLINE: And where did you get the idea of setting up a production company?
I was already doing this in Senegal but in a very informal way.
DIOP: Initially, my dream was to set up a film school in Dakar.
I also decided to become a co-producer on my films.
DEADLINE: Fabacary, people will know Mati more internationally thanks to her work.
What is your background and how did you end up here?
DIOP: I like the story our different backgrounds tell.
Fabacary is a key player in Senegalese cinema, embodying local know-how.
I embody another reality of Senegalese cinema, which has succeeded in establishing itself on the world stage.
DEADLINE:Is the company based in Dakar?
DEADLINE:What are the companys objectives?
What projects would you like to carry out?
What does that mean?
DIOP: That means thinking outside the box, reinventing ourselves, and daring to explore new horizons.
DEADLINE:What kind of partnerships do you hope to develop as a company?
Both on the continent and elsewhere.
DIOP: Of course, were also considering international co-productions, as we did onDahomeywith France and Benin.
DEADLINE:What are you not interested in doing?
Thats my red line.
What trends are you noticing on the continent at the moment?
Were seeing more and more authors documenting history and depicting reality with an aesthetic thats sophisticated and assertive.
