Samba Félix Ndiaye
Samba Félix N’diaye (6 March 1945 – 6 November 2009), was a Sénégalese filmmaker. One of the early pillars in Senegalese cinema industry, Ndiaye is regarded as the father of the African documentary. He made several critically acclaimed Documentary shorts Trésors des poubelles, Ngor, l'esprit des lieux, Les malles and Geti Tey.
Also recorded as Samba Felix Ndiaye
Samba Félix Ndiaye

Romanceor · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Samba Félix N’diaye
- Born
- 6 March 1945
- Birthplace
- Dakar, Sénégal
- Died
- 6 November 2009
- Education
- University of Dakar University of Paris VIII Institut Lumière
- Occupation
- Director, writer, cinematographer
- Nationality
- Senegal
- Languages
- French
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Samba Félix N’diaye (6 March 1945 – 6 November 2009), was a Sénégalese filmmaker. One of the early pillars in Senegalese cinema industry, Ndiaye is regarded as the father of the African documentary. He made several critically acclaimed Documentary shorts Trésors des poubelles, Ngor, l'esprit des lieux, Les malles and Geti Tey.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Samba Félix Ndiaye. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q3470675 · wikipedia · Samba Félix Ndiaye
In this article
Biography
Biography
Apart from direction, he is also a writer and cinematographer.

Samba Félix Ndiaye lors d'une sortie à l'île de Ngor, décembre 2004
Olivier Barlet
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Samba Félix N’diaye • Born — 6 March 1945 • Birth Name — Samba Félix N’diaye • Birthplace — Dakar, Sénégal • Died — 6 November 2009 • Place of death — Dakar, Sénégal • Resting Place — Yoff cemetery • Education — University of Dakar University of Paris VIII Institut Lumière • Years Active — 1974–2007 • Occupation — Director, writer, cinematographer
Personal life
Personal life
Ndiaye was born on 6 March 1945 in Dakar, Senegal. He regularly attended the film club of the French Cultural Center in Dakar which he done as a habit. He later training in law and economics at the University of Dakar. Then he attended the University of Paris VIII and obtained Masters in Cinema and Audiovisual Studies. Then he joined with the Institut Lumière to study cinematography and editing. He died on 6 November 2009 in Dakar at the age of 64 due to complications from cerebral malaria. He was later buried in Yoff cemetery.
Career
Career
In 1974, he directed his maiden documentary short Perantal, as part of his master's degree in cinema. In 1978, he made the short Geti Tey which discussed the difficulties faced by artisanal fishermen from Kayar, Hann or Soumbédioune whose activity is endangered by the boom in fishing. After that, Ndiaye made the a series of five short films gathered under the title Trésors des poubelles in 1989. In the same year, he made the short Aqua, an “urban metonymy” which is almost without words. In 1994, Ndiaye made his maiden feature film Ngor, l'esprit des lieux about the inhabitants of Ngor, a village located on the outskirts of Dakar. Since late 1990s, he mostly concerned about political thematic documentaries and made Lettre à Senghor in 1998. As a writer, he wrote the documentary Rwanda, pour mémoire which focused on the Rwandan genocide of 1994. In 2007 in his late years, Ndiaye made the documentary Questions à la terre natale. In 2012, he won the award at the Cordoba African Film Festival for his film Trésors des poubelles.
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — Film — Role — Genre — Ref. • 1974 — Perantal — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1976 — La confrérie des Mourides — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1977 — Pêcheurs de Kayar — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1978 — Geti Tey — Director, cinematographer, producer — Documentary short • 1984 — Xew Xew — Executive producer — Documentary • 1986 — La santé, une aventure peu ordinaire — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1989 — Trésors des poubelles — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary compilation • 1989 — Teug, chaudronnerie d'art — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1989 — Les malles — Director, writer — Documentary short • 1989 — Les chutes de Ngalam — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1989 — Diplomate à la tomate — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1989 — Aqua — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary short • 1992 — Dakar Bamako — Director — Documentary • 1992 — Amadou Diallo, un peintre sous verre — Director, writer, editor — Documentary short • 1992 — Hyena — Executive producer — Documentary • 1994 — Ngor, l'esprit des lieux — Director, writer — Film • 1998 — Lettre à Senghor — Director, writer — Documentary • 2001 — Nataal — Director, writer, cinematographer, editor — Documentary • 2003 — Rwanda, pour mémoire — writer — Documentary • 2007 — Questions à la terre natale — Director — Documentary
Identity
Identity
Samba Félix Ndiaye is recorded as film director, screenwriter, film producer, film editor and documentary filmmaker.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2009
Samba Félix Ndiaye died at Dakar.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Samba Félix Ndiaye”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3470675: Samba Félix Ndiaye
General reference · Wikidata
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
38,018 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Samantha SoulePerson
- Samantha WomackPerson
- Samara FelippoPerson
- Samara WeavingPerson
- Samba GadjigoPerson
- Sameer Iqbal PatelPerson
- Sameer SharmaPerson
- Sameer SoniPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Samba Félix Ndiaye?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.