Leïla Sy

Leïla Sy (born Leïla Dixmier; 30 June 1977), is a French director and activist. She is known for her work with rapper Kery James, including co-directing the film Street Flow.

Leïla Sy
Born	Leïla Dixmier (1977-06-30) June 30, 1977 (age 48)
Occupations	Film director Screenwriter Editor
Known for	French director and activist
Notable work	Street Flow (2019)

Biography

Leïla Sy was born Leïla Dixmier^[1][2] on June 30, 1977^[3] to a French mother and Senegalese father.^[4][3]

After attending the arts school Penninghen,^[5][6] she began her career in French hip hop in the press: first working at Track List, she later became the artistic director of the French version of The Source.^[5][6]

In 2005, she founded, along with Joeystarr whom she is in a relationship with,^[7] the organization Devoirs de mémoires. Sy serves as the organization's president. In 2017, Sy was named a member of the public interest group creating the Fondation pour la mémoire de l'esclavage (Foundation for the memory of slavery).^[8]

Since 2016, she has created music videos for rapper Kerry James such as "Musique nègre" ("Black Music"), for whom she is the artistic director.^[9] They created their first feature film in 2019, Street Flow, with a script written by the rapper and directed by James and Sy. The film was released on Netflix in October, 2019.^[10][11][12]

Filmography

Fiction

• 2019 : Je t'aim3, épisode Entre chien et Lou (court métrage)^[13] with Vald (rapper)
• 2019 : Street Flow, with Kery James
• 2023 : Yo Mama, with Amadou Mariko
• 2023 : Street Flow 2, with Kery James

Documentary

• 2011 : Rîmes et Châtiments

Music videos

List is not exhaustive

• 2009 : Je représente by Kery James
• 2009 : Le Retour du rap français by Kery James
• 2012 : Heart Stop by Wax Tailor, co-directed by Mathieu Foucher
• 2012 : Lettre à la République by Kery James, directed by Mathieu Foucher
• 2012 : Dernier MC by Kery James
• 2013 : Constat amer by Kery James
• 2013 : À l'horizon by Kery James ft. Corneille
• 2013 : Mystère féminin by Kery James ft. Imany
• 2013 : Contre nous by Kery James ft. Youssoupha & Médine, directed by Kub&Cristo
• 2013 : Post Scriptum by Kery James
• 2014 : Paris by Tunisiano
• 2014 : Bolchoï by Soviet Suprem
• 2016 : Vivre ou mourir ensemble by Kery James
• 2016 : N'importe quoi by Kery James
• 2016 : Racailles by Kery James
• 2016 : Musique nègre by Kery James ft. Lino & Youssoupha
• 2016 : J'suis pas un héros by Kery James
• 2016 : Game of Bells by LEJ
• 2016 : Le Prix by Rockin' Squat
• 2018 : PDM by Kery James
• 2018 : J'rap encore by Kery James
• 2018 : Amal by Kery James
• 2018 : Sur le drapeau by 93 Empire (Suprême NTM x Sofiane)
• 2018 : À la Ideal J by Kery James
• 2018 : Le jour où j'arrêterai le rap by Kery James
• 2018 : Woah by 93 Empire (Sofiane, Vald, Soolking, Sadek, Mac Tyer, Heuss l'Enfoiré, Kalash Criminel)
• 2018 : Rêves de gamin by Nassi
• 2019 : Khapta by Heuss l'Enfoiré ft. Sofiane
• 2019 : À qui la faute by Kery James ft. Orelsan
• 2019 : Les Yeux mouillés by Kery James ft. Youssoupha
• 2019 : Le Mélancolique by Kery James (réalisé avec Julien Faustino)
• 2020 : Calumet by Hornet La Frappe^[14]
• 2020 : Blues by Kery James ft. Féfé
• 2020 : Lundi méchant by Gaël Faye
• 2020 : Outro by Lyna Mahyem
• 2020 : Control by Bilal Hassani
• 2021 : Le Goût de vivre by Kery James
• 2021 : Boomer by Gaël Faye

Awareness campaign

• 2016 : The Sound of Silence for the Centre Primo Levi^[15]