'Felicité' Director Alain Gomis on His Berlinale Competition Film 'DAO'

Variety

by elskes

February 14, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Alain Gomis, the director behind *Felicité*, returns to the Berlin International Film Festival with his latest project, *DAO*, a deeply personal three-hour family saga set between France and West Africa. The film, inspired by Gomis’ own experiences, follows a mother-and-daughter duo through two significant ceremonies—a wedding in Paris and a funeral in Guinea-Bissau. Starring both professional actors and newcomers, the production is marked by its improvisational style, with dialogue shaped on-set rather than scripted in advance. This approach, combined with 20 days of filming across two continents, resulted in over 200 hours of footage that was carefully edited into a cohesive narrative. The idea for *DAO* germinated after Gomis attended his father’s funeral in Guinea-Bissau in 2018, an event that left a lasting impact on him. He describes the film as a mosaic woven from small, intimate details, reflecting both personal and universal experiences. The production’s swift timeline and organic process highlight Gomis’ signature style, which prioritizes emotional authenticity over premeditated planning. The result is a hybrid blend of fiction and documentary elements, with scenes shaped by the actors’ instincts and the collective energy of the crew. At its core, *DAO* explores themes of identity, displacement, and inherited trauma, offering a nuanced look at generational gaps within families. Gomis delves into how women, particularly mothers, often postpone their own aspirations to prioritize their children—a narrative thread that echoes his earlier works like *Felicité*. The film’s score, blending traditional West African

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Originally published on Variety on 2/14/2026