LITTLE SENEGAL

Synopsis

One of Rachid Bouchareb's best-known and loved films, 2001's 'Little Senegal' is a deeply profound meditation on immigration and the primal urge to connect with one's roots and forebears. On tiny Senegalese island of Goree, 65-year old Alloune (Sotigue Kouyate) works as a guide at a Slavery Museum. His job feeds his obsession with tracing his family's heritage, a project that takes him to the United States and the former plantations of South Carolina. There, he happens upon some precious slivers of information which drive him to New York City, where he meets the feisty and headstrong Ida in Harlem. Ida, who Alloune believes is a distant relative, is unconcerned with her African heritage being focused more on the daily battle to survive. Her attitude and his experiences in the US cause Alloune to fundamentally re-examine his relationships with his conceptions of history and family.

Genre

Drama

Cast & Credits

• Director:  Rachid Bouchareb
• Producer:  Jason Kilot, Jean Brehat, Joana Vicente
• Scriptwriter:  Olivier Lorelle, Rachid Bouchareb
• Cinematographer:  Benoit Chamaillard, Youcef Sahraoui
• Editor:  Sandrine Deegan
• Composer:  Safy Boutella
• Cast (in alphabetical order):  Adetoro Makinde, Karim Traoré, Roschdy Zem, Sharon Hope, Sotigui Kouyate