La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil on AllMovie

Senegalese avant-gardist Djibril Diop Mambety's La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil is the second in a trilogy of shorter films, called Tales of Ordinary People (the first was 1995's Le Franc). The film is an 'homage' by the director to street children. Sili is a little girl between ten and thirteen years old. She lives on the street and moves with crutches. Her legs cannot support her since she had polio. She tries to get close to the boys who sell newspapers, but they push her and make her fall. She gets irritated and decides to take her destiny in her own hands. Instead of begging, she will sell newspapers like the boys. Equal rights for both sexes. Although the world of the newspaper boys is cruel and merciless, along with pain, she also finds friendship. The film was shot on the street with the participation of the street children. La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil was screened as part of the International Forum of New Cinema section of the 49th Berlin Film Festival, 1999.