Synopsis
Ramatoulaye, a 50-year-old teacher, married to Modou for 25 years, sees her world fall apart when her husband decides to take a second wife, his daughter’s best friend. The film recounts her descent into hell: the economic vicissitudes, her relentless struggle to keep her house and defend her children’s inheritance, her loneliness in the face of this situation. The film will also bear witness to her reconstruction. This movie is an adaptation of Mariama Ba’s novel So long a letter, published in 1979.
Technical Sheet
Fiction: Feature film Duration: 1 hour 44 minutes Language: French/Wolof (English subtitles) Format: 4K Screening Formats: DCP / ProRess - H.264 file Country of Production: Senegal Production Year: February 2025
Director :
Angèle Diabang
Photography:
Amath Niane
Sound:
Alioune Mbow
SetDesign:
Moussa Diène
Editing:
Hyacinthe Tiemtoré et Yannick Leroy
Music:
Omar Fadel, Abou Bassa Bomou, Yilim, Edouard Manga, Oumar Niang, frères Guissé
Co-production:
Canal+ / Korokoro (France) / Bakotama Production (Mali) / AAFilms (Egypte) / Ciné Lumière (Côte D’Ivoire) / La chauve-souris (France) /
With the support of:
FOPICA / FONSIC / Canal + / TV5 Monde / Creative Africa / Maïssa Fund of the French Embassy in Senegal / Young Francophone Creation Fund / Francophonie Image Fund / International Organization of the Francophonie (CLAP ACP 2) / European Union, Organization of ACP States.
Director’s bio-filmography:
Angèle Diabang is a filmmaker, producer and trainer. After training in Senegal, France and Germany, she has been developing an engaged cinematic body of work for over twenty years, at the crossroads of artistic creation, social issues and knowledge transmission. She is the founder of Karoninka, a production company supporting African and international films recognized at major festivals worldwide. As a director, she is known for high-impact documentaries. She received the Bronze award at FESPACO 2019 and the ECOWAS Best Director Award for her short film Un air de kora. In 2025, she directed So Long a Letter, a feature film adaptation of Mariama Bâ’s novel, which set a historic box-office record in Senegal. Committed to strengthening the cultural sector, Angèle Diabang served as Chair of the Board of SODAV (the Senegalese Copyright and Related Rights Organization) from 2014 to 2016. In 2022, she founded Institut Mousso, a training program in audiovisual practice and leadership for young women in Casamance, aimed at fostering a new generation of cultural entrepreneurs and local development leaders.
Karoninka
Founded in 2006, Karoninka has produced around twenty films (documentaries, fiction, series) across Africa, in France, and in Germany. Its commitment, innovative spirit, and rigorous approach have allowed Karoninka to become an undisputed leader in executive production and production management for international productions during their filming in Senegal and the sub-region.