In this surprising debut feature, Chadian director Achille Ronaimou crafts a relentless thriller where a man accused of killing a child must pay a blood debt.
Outside of the films of Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, it is quite rare to see Chad on the big screen. This year, another director from this country, Achille Ronaimou, takes up the challenge with a relentless thriller that brings us from the streets of N’Djamena to the north of the country.
Dane (impressive Ferdinand Mbaissané, winner of the Best Actor award at FESPACO 2025), a driver for an NGO in the capital, has the misfortune to run over a schoolboy. His pregnant wife (Marina Ndormadjingar Solmem) runs to his aid to pay the hospital bills, but it’s too late: the child succumbs to his injuries, and his family summons Dane’s. He will be subjected to the diya, the blood debt, the payment of an exorbitant sum he doesn’t have.
Cleverly orchestrated, Diya puts us right at the heart of Dane’s torment: repaying the debt or languishing in prison far from his soon-to-be-born first child. The film is packed with interesting characters, including Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's leading actor, Youssouf Djaoro (A Screaming Man, TIFF ’10; Lingui, TIFF ’21). The incisive editing reflects the script’s precise, deft use of misdirection and the main character’s naiveté.
Dane is a man of good faith, led astray in spite of himself. And his wife, plucking up courage, is prepared to go to any lengths to support him. Unless another twist awaits them at the end of the road? Diya is a beautiful surprise not to be missed.
CLAIRE DIAO
Screenings
Scotiabank 10
Scotiabank 8
Scotiabank 7