MANGABANGABAKA

by Michaël Andrianaly
2026 – 91 minutes – France / Madagascar

Sonia worked as a sex worker for nearly 30 years on the streets of Toamasina, on the east coast of Madagascar. Born into a poor family, she was introduced to the nightlife at a very young age and made a life for herself there, under the leering gaze of men and their control over her body. Now aged 47, she is exhausted, worried about her health and anxious about the future of her two grown-up children. Despite the economic and social conditions in Toamasina, she decides to leave prostitution and buy a sewing machine to become a seamstress. But the need for money remains acute, whether to meet day-to-day necessities or to provide for the growing needs of her daughter, Piso. The teenager, like her friends, would like to lead a normal life, to be able to buy herself new trainers or the latest trendy smartphone. For Sonia, a struggle begins between her desire to change her life and her determination to raise her children with dignity. After thirty years on the streets, she must let go of an identity that had become her own and manage to earn a sufficient income. The transition looks set to be a difficult one for Sonia, as she will have to resist the nightlife that relentlessly draws her back in.

A Les Films de la pluie, Ana Films, Imasoa Film, Pilumpiku Production coproduction
with the support of la Région Bretagne in partnership with le CNC
and of le Fonds Image de la Francophonie with the financial contribution of the European Union and the support of l'Organisation des États ACP
with the support of la Fondation Alter-Ciné
this film received la bourse Brouillon d'un rêve of la SCAM with the support of La Culture avec la Copie Privée

Written & directed by Michaël Andrianaly
Image : Michaël Andrianaly
Sound : Wilfried Andrianjara
Image editing & color grading : Denis Le Paven
Sound editing & sound mix : Pablo Salaün
Script doctor : Justine Bonno
Artistic collaborator : Céline Dréan
Original music : Leba Saxophone