Dao. 2026. France/Senegal/Guinea-Bissau. Written and directed by Alain Gomis. With Katy Correa, D’Johé Kouadio, Samir Guesmi. DCP courtesy Janus Films. In French, Wolof, Manjak, Portuguese Creole; English subtitles. 192 min.
Unfolding across a wedding celebration in France and a traditional funeral rite in Guinea-Bissau, Dao weaves an expansive, deeply personal portrait of a family navigating the bonds between generations, continents, and cultures. At its center is Gloria, a mother preparing to celebrate her daughter’s marriage while mourning the recent loss of her father. Blending fiction, documentary, and improvisation, director Alain Gomis (Félicité, Tey) creates a vibrant, fluid tapestry of ritual, music, dance, and everyday encounters. Featuring a remarkable ensemble of professional and nonprofessional performers, including members of the director’s own family, Dao reflects on ancestry, migration, and the transmission of cultural memory, embracing the complexities of grief and celebration as inseparable parts of the human experience.
Tickets are available to members at the Explore category and above beginning two weeks before each screening date. Additional tickets will be released to members and the general public one week before each screening date. Please note that space is extremely limited and tickets will be in high demand. Tickets can be reserved at moma.org/contenders beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET.
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