The relationship between literature and cinema is not new. They influence each other. The plots, the characters , the dialogues proposed by the novel contribute to the cinematographic works. Among the subgenres of the novel, the detective story is the one which, undoubtedly because of its proximity to cinematographic scenarios, lends itself best to movie adaptation. Starting from the observation that the two forms of expression are minor in the togolese artistic landscape, we suggest that they could inspire each other. The study is based on the novel Le chien qui parle by the togolese writer Charles Olince. Using the tools of narrative
semiotics, the work is first questioned from the point of view of its congruence with the canons of the detective story. This made it possible to identify constants but also heaviness participating in the realistic tendency of the domin ant social novel, and which must be resolved within the framework of a movie adaptation. Then, the use of cinematographic techniques and methods led to the examination of the ways of transposing this story to the seventh art.
Keywords : novel, cinema, imag es, cinematographic techniques, filmic
intentionality
