This is a serious time for Ousmane Diallo.
At 20 years old, number 10, international football star, he is on the eve of an essential choice.
The next day, at 1 p.m., he will officially announce whether he is joining the French team, the country where he was born and raised, or that of Senegal, his father's original homeland.
His decision is made, he has been thinking about it for a year, but the hours to come will shake up all his certainties.
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Solicitations, attacks, pressure come from all sides.
His agent (Ragnar le Breton), his best friend and handyman (comedian Ilyes Djadel, perfect as a loudmouth and troublemaker...), his father (Jean-Baptiste Anoumon), the young people of his city of 9-3, its fans, the media, social networks...
A choice interpreted as a political position
Everyone wants to convince him to choose the “good” side.
“
You must give back to France what it gave you
”, “
What other choice than France to make a career, obtain the money and the recognition that you deserve?
»… some argue.
“
Africa needs all its talents to rise
”, “
Clairefontaine refused to open its doors to you
”, “
France remains a colonialist country
”, “
Since Touche pas à mon pote, nothing has changed
», proclaim the others…
With, like a sword of Damocles, the existence of an old clip in which he burns a blue, white and red flag... “
Your choice, whatever it is, will be interpreted as a political position
,” says a close friend.
To which the young athlete replies: “
My position is 10
”.
Only his mother (Camille Chamoux, all gentleness and kindness) remains attentive and seems to think first of his happiness.
The dilemma of dual nationals
The dilemma of dual nationals, at the heart of
Number 10
, Ibrahima Diallo knows well.
This Belgian-Guinean, born in Brussels in 1998, describes himself as
a “child of diversity
”, with an African father and a blonde mother with blue eyes.
“
When you ask a mixed race like me to choose a country, it’s like choosing between my father and my mother, it’s impossible!
“, he said.
He played football until the age of 14, before following in the footsteps of his father, Lansana Béa Diallo, seven times world boxing champion.
Undefeated after ten professional fights, and a continental WBA title in his pocket, Ibrahima, unlike his character, has the chance to play a sport that does not require deciding: “
I fought in the name of Belgium for the Olympic qualifications but, today, in the world of professional boxing, I am me and I represent myself!
»
A journey through the night
The young man, charismatic and convincing, makes a sensational debut on screen in this feature film directed by David Diane (
Validé
) and written by Rémi and Simon Moutaïrou (
Boite noire, Goliath
).
They take him on a journey to the end of the night, sometimes nightmarish (like
After Hours
), a journey to the end of himself above all, questioning his history, that of his parents, his values, his ambitions.
The trip is staged with a real sense of rhythm, an urgency, the countdown of the hours is displayed, the camera, nervous, sticks to the characters, at ease behind the scenes of the stadium, the bling-bling evenings, the luxury hotels, like the suburban neighborhood of his childhood.
The dilemma of this kind, loyal, honest and upright little guy, to whom his father instilled rules for his life as a man from childhood – “
a lion never cries
”…- and who never refuses a selfie, is strong.
His exciting journey.
With an obvious societal dimension.
And a welcome humor behind it.