The supernatural powers of the African Joan of Arc
Rokhaya, a film student in Switzerland, returns to her home in Senegal to make a film about Aline Sitoé Diatta, her ancestor, who is a symbol of resilience and freedom and was believed to have the magical power to bring the rain. Throughout her research, which consists of interviews with local personalities, several casting sessions, discussions with her team, and fictional scenes shot on location, we discover the compelling story of a fascinating hero of our times.
Seeking Aline by Rokhaya Marieme Balde – Senegal, 27 min
Special Jury Mention at BBC Reel’s third annual LongShots film festival.
Here is the jury statement by the esteemed LongShots 2022 Jury Committee including Sara Dosa, Courtney Stephens, Alejandro Loayza Grisi and Jourdain Searles.
'This film shows confidence and playfulness in the way it experiments with the biographical form. It honours its subject by calling forth not only the facts, but her spirit of rebellion, by refusing to cohere to the neat rules of historical documentary. By venturing into a terrain of reenactment and even clairvoyant channelling, the filmmaker maps out a place where mythmaking, nation-building, and cinema seem to meet. It takes on the idea of character in two senses: asking what it means to have character by exploring the boundaries of what it means, in cinematic terms, to embody a mythological figure.'
