Taamaden

Seydou Cissé

"Bakary, a young man from Mali, sits on a rock in a lake and pours a small packet of milk over his head and body. He then takes an egg, looks at it carefully and says “Monday”, after which he breaks it and drops the yolk into the water. He repeats this several times. Having followed all his marabout’s instructions to the letter, his next crossing should now be successful.

Taamaden (“The Walking Child”) shows us two worlds: that of a number of West African immigrants who are making a living in Spain, and that of Bakary in Mali, who is preparing for a new attempt. These young men have one thing in common: they have regular contact with a mystical and religious clairvoyant.

In Taamaden, Mali-born artist and documentary filmmaker Seydou Cissé tells an original and intimate story about the everyday lives of immigrants and their ties to spiritual leaders. Switching smoothly between Africa and Europe, he shows how African occultism finds a place in Europe via the smartphone, and how faith and hope can be as strong as harsh reality."

ON ARTE.TV

with

  • Bakary, Ouloulou, Baldé et Doucouré
  • Lenght : 84 minutes
  • Genre : Documentaire de création
  • Year of production : 2021
  • Languages : Bambara, Wolof, Anglais, Français, Espagnol
  • Director : Seydou Cissé
  • Edit : Wei-Yuan Song
  • Image : Tarek Sami, Tiécoura N’daou, Seydou Cissé
  • Sound : Arno Ledoux, Birama Coulibaly, Abdoulaye Dianka
  • Sound edit: Benjamin Pasternak
  • Sound effects : Elias Vervecken
  • Mix : David Davister
  • Colour grading : Michaël Cinquin, Sylvain Lange
  • Year of production : France, Belgique, Cameroun, Afrique du sud
  • Produced by : Eugénie Michel-Villette (Les Films du Bilboquet), Dieudonné Alaka (Tara), Don Edkins et Tiny Mungwe (Steps), Aurélien Bodinaux (Neon Rouge)

partenership

  • Shelter Prod
  • Taxshelter.be
  • Fonds Image de la Francophonie et l’organisation des États ACP
  • France Télévisions
  • Pictanovo avec le soutien de la région Hauts-de-France
  • CNC
  • Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
  • Procirep-Angoa
  • Robert Bosch Stiftung
  • Bertha Foundation
  • Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
  • DW Akademie
  • Tax Shelter du gouvernement fédéral de Belgique
  • Union Européenne

news

  • Available on VODon ARTE.tv from the 10/06/2022 to the 27/03/2024 and on the Youtube channel Arte.tv Documentary
  • "In Taamaden, Mali-born artist and documentary filmmaker Seydou Cissé tells an original and intimate story about the everyday lives of immigrants and their ties to spiritual leaders. Switching smoothly between Africa and Europe, he shows how African occultism finds a place in Europe via the smartphone, and how faith and hope can be as strong as harsh reality."

projections and selections in Festivals

  • Joburg Film Festival • Johannesburg, february 2023
  • Crocevia di Sguardi • Turin, novembre 2022 • Italian premiere
  • Africa Movie Academy Awards • Best Documentary Competition • Lagos, october 2022
  • Festival Cinémas d'Afrique• Lausanne, august 2022
  • Durban Internation Film Festival • july 2022 • south-african premiere
  • Zanzibar International Film Festival • june 2022 • african premiere
  • Festival de L'Acharnière • june 2022
  • Visions du Réel • Switzerland premiere - Latitudes • Nyon, april 2022
  • IDFA • International competition and nominated for the "First Film" award • Amsterdam, 2021• World premiere

awards

  • Festival de L'Acharnière • Special mention of the jury • June 2022