Indie Sales Acquires Malian Crime Thriller ‘Wulu’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Indie sales has boarded daring Africa-set crime thriller “Wulu,” the feature debut of Malian-French helmer Daouda Coulibaly.
Produced by Eric Névé at Paris-based company La Chauve-Souris and pitched as a ‘Malian Scarface,’ “Wulu” depicts the journey of Ladji, a neglected Malian youth working as a trainee bus driver who becomes a top-level drug lord.
Now in post, “Wulu” lensed on location in Senegal and in Mali under “very harsh conditions,” said Indie Sales.
“Wulu” toplines Ibrahim Koma (“The Crocodile Of Botswanga,” “Asphalt Playground”) and singer-turned-these Inna Modja.
“Daouda Coulibaly is one of today’s most talented Franco-Malian filmmakers and Ibrahim Koma a promising actor. For the first time in (the African) cinema, the film takes us into a shady world of west African poverty and drug trafficking, and I am confident that the story of Ladji will manage to connect to the audience worldwide”, said Indie Sales’ topper Nicolas Eschbach.
The strong key crew includes cinematographer Pierre Milon (“Don’t Tell Me The Boy was Mad,” “The Class”) and editor Jean Leloup (“Standing Tall”).
Coulibaly’s last short “Tinye So” won the jury prize at Dubai and competed at FESPACO where it won the Poulain d’Or. His other short, “A History of Independence,” played at the African film festival in New York.
Pic has been backed by the ACPCultures+ Program and financed by the European Commission.
“Wulu” will be delivered in 2016.
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