One Year After His Passing, Souleymane Cissé's Legacy Endures

One year after his passing, Souleymane Cissé's legacy endures — even as much of his work remains difficult to access.

Cissé died on February 19, 2025, in Bamako, Mali. He was 84. He reportedly collapsed after a nap, hours after giving a press conference where he urged Mali's government to build movie theaters.

His final recorded words — "It is not enough to make cinema; the works must also be visible" — became a refrain across dozens of tributes, and an epitaph.

Clip via the World Cinema Project (WCP).