Diak Sparrow: The Quest
Director: Amath Mbaye · my first short film
A set about to disappear. One camera. No script. A quest.
- Type
- Short film
- Released
- 2024
- My role
- Director · my first short film
My first short film, with Diakus as the main character. First screened on my rooftop during the OFF of the Dakar Biennale 2024, at Off The Market & Underrated.
A Biennale like no other
In 2024, the Dakar Biennale meant something special in our family. My mother, the artist Anta Germaine Gaye, was honoured by the President of the Republic and by the Biennale itself, with a major tribute at the Palais de Justice. Watching her prepare for it, I knew I couldn’t just watch.
Film it before it’s gone
I started with no story, just to keep a trace. The set built at the Palais de Justice would only exist once: in a few weeks, it would be taken down for good.
Then, shot after shot, a quest took shape. The script came while filming. One Sony FX30, an on-camera mic, almost no dialogue, and a few escapes to a campsite and a fishing trip.
The script came while filming. The audience arrived before the export finished.
The people who answer when you call
Diakus is a photographer. He became an actor every time I called him, often without knowing exactly why. Madiaw Ly was on every shoot, suggesting, framing, co-directing.
The night of the screening
Premiere on my rooftop, during the OFF, at Underrated & Off the Market, alongside Connexions and Nūūn ni Nëën. The audience was already seated. I was still waiting for the export to finish.
What I took from it
- Not everyone understood the film. That’s when I understood what writing is worth.
- A film is first the people who answer when you call.
- A deadline in front of an audience is the best teacher there is.
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