THE ATTACHMENT

At a time when the government is carrying out major urban infrastructure projects to reduce traffic congestion in Dakar, the popular nieghbourhood of Guinaw Rails is slowly being emptied of its inhabitants. In front of the walls and ruins, my mother tells me of her attachment to Guinaw Rails, where she has lived for 40 years. The mother is the one who cares and passes on. But when this figure crumbles, what's left? Our relationship between son and mother unfolds as we witness the destruction of the neighbourhood.
When Macky Sall's government inaugurates Africa's first TER (regional express train), Senghor's 1960’s utopia of ‘Dakar will be like Paris’ is realised, placing Senegal at the centre of the world and in its relationship with France. The inauguration of the TER, operated by the SNCF from Paris, raises the question of how Senegalese society continues to be shaped by French neo-colonialism and how those in power neglect the interests of the people.