DIYA

Achille Ronaimou
Chad/ France/ Germany/ Côte d’Ivoire 2024 | Original version with English subtitles I 95 min
Q&A with the director to follow

FR 14 NOV
18:00 BROTFABRIKKINO

Dane works as a driver for a humanitarian NGO in N’Djamena and leads a peaceful life with his young wife Delphine, who is expecting a child.
On a fateful day, Dane accidentally hits 9-year-old student Younous with his car. He immediately takes him to the hospital, and his wife rushes to help pay for the medical expenses—but it is too late. The next day, when Dane returns to the hospital to check on the boy, he learns that Younous has died. The child’s parents are devastated and demand Diya—blood money—threatening that otherwise a family member of Dane’s would be killed. The sum demanded is so exorbitant that Dane cannot pay…

Achille Ronaimou presents a portrait of a society where corruption, poverty, and rigid adherence to tradition lead to seemingly impossible decisions.
The film’s soundtrack is by Chadian musician Afrotronix, who performs live at AFRIKAMERA on Wednesday at Maaya.

DIYA premiered at FESPACO 2025. Actor Ferdinand Mbaïssané was awarded Best Actor for his portrayal of Dane. In September 2025, DIYA was also screened in the Centrepiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival.

ACHILLE RONAIMOU was born in N’Djamena, Chad. He is a director and screenwriter, and previously directed the short films MARCH 8 (2019) and KADBOR (2014), as well as the documentaries MINORS IN PRISON (2013) and KANOUN (2012). DIYA is his feature film debut.