I was born 30 years ago in Dakar, I grew up there with my brothers and my parents, who for several generations have belonged to the Diola ethnic group, people of southern Senegal, in the Casamance region. Neither their language nor their culture has been passed on to me. At the age of 18, driven by a deep desire to fill this cultural void, I decided to go to my parents' hometown, against their advice.
The starting point of this documentary is a shock, real, lived, caused by a ritual which I witnessed without understanding anything. Out of this frustration was born a desire to meet a culture that is mine but which I did not inherit, and to follow the initiatory steps to become Diola.
Through this film, from Dakar to Ziguinchor, I want to redo the path that connects the place where I grew up - the city, which is written with two wings - to where my roots are.
Test, quest for identity, outcome: this cinematographic story retraces the indeterminate story of the learning of my life
a film by Sébastien TENDENG
Senegal / France, 2015, documentary, 52 min
Original Title (in French): COMMENT JE SUIS DEVENU DIOLA (meaning "HOW I BECAME DIOLA")
Type: documentary
Year: 2015
Duration: 52 min
Producer: Sébastien Tendeng
DIRECTOR: Sébastien Tendeng
SCREENPLAY: Sébastien Tendeng
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Fabacary Assymby Coly, Oumar Bâ
SOUND: Ousmane Coly
EDITING: Jean-Michel Dury
PRODUCTION
Impluvium Productions (Senegal)
Make a wish - Company of Authors (France)
TVR Rennes 35
With the support of
International organization of Francophonie
CNC
ACP Cultures
TV broadcaster:
TVR Rennes 35 (France)
Lumière d'Afrique collection
AVAILABLE ON SITE
Paid consultation
LINKS
www.facebook.com/ImpluviumProd
www.faitesunvoeu.fr/projets/comment-je-suis-devenu-diola/
Je suis né et j'ai grandi en ville à Dakar, loin du village de mes parents, qui appartiennent depuis des générations à l'ethnie des Diola, peuple du sud du Sénégal, dans la région naturelle de Casamance. Ni leur langue ni leur culture ne m'ont été transmise. A mes 18 ans, mu par le profond désir de combler ce vide culturel, je décide d'aller au village de mes parents contre leur avis. A travers ce film, je veux poursuivre ma quête identitaire de Dakar à Ziguinchor, et suivre le fil d'Ariane qui me relie à l'endroit où je suis né et là où se trouvent mes racines.
Production : Impluvium Productions (Sénégal) / Faites un voeu - Compagnies d'Auteurs (France)