The films of Alain Gomis define a richly cinematic mode of narrative portraiture. Each of his four features centers around willful characters overwhelmed by difficult circumstances which force them to question their place within a world that seems indifferent and even hostile to their plight. Born in France into a Senegalese and Guinea-Bissauan family, Alain Gomis has divided his films between Africa and France, offering a unique vista over the sharp differences and deep bonds that continue to define the relationship between francophone Africa and its diaspora. Gomis was awarded the Film Study Center’s 2018-19 Geneviève McMillan-Reba Stewart Fellowship in Distinguished Filmmaking.