SambaFélixNDiayewasbornonthe6thofMarch1945inDakar.Asanadolescenthedevelopedapassionforcinemaandranhisschool’sFilmClub.HestudiedlawandeconomyattheUniversityofDakar,buthispassionforcinemaremainedsteadfast.HethenwentontostudyfilmtheoryattheUniversityofParisVIIIwhileattendingmorepracticalcoursesattheLouisLumièreSchool.Concurrenttohisfilmstudies,hetookcoursesinethno-psychiatryattheÉcoledeshautesétudesandalsodirectedhisfirstshortfilm,Pérantal,in1974.Thismarkedthefirstlegofthecareerofafilmmakerwhohasbeenshapedbyrealityandthedepicteringofaworldtowhichhethendedicateshiscinematographicknow-how.Trésorsdespoubelles(TreasuresfromTrash),whichhasbeenairedonArte,Canal+andabroadonseveraloccasions,leavesusinawebyshowinghowcraftsmencancreateartusingverysimplematerials.This,ofcourse,leadsusthinkofthe"documentarycraftsman"whoisabletomakegreatfilmsbyusingafewrawimagestakenfromreallife.
