LILI ET LE BAOBAB
LILI AND THE BAOBAB |
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DIRECTOR
Chantal Richard
SCREENPLAY
Chantal Richard
CAST
Lili: Romane Bohringer
Aminata Ly: Aminata Zaaria
Moussa: Saïdou Abatcha
Fred: François Delaive
Abou: Mamadou Ly
Running time: 90’
Production: France, 2006
Rating: Not rated
Gauge: DVD (color)
GENRE
Drama
DISTRIBUTOR
Casque d'Or Films
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“Faithful to reality, without
pathos or political posturing, ‘Lili and the Baobab’
lets its images and its story do the talking. In the director's
seat, Chantal Richard was largely inspired by autobiographical
events. She knows her subject well, and it shows. At her side,
Romane Bohringer plays the part without effort, perfect for
the role, probably because she has so much in common with her
character. She is open, natural, sensitive, committed, perhaps
a tad clumsy. (…) The depictions are finely honed and
authentic, the journey enriching.”
Julie Deh, Fluctuat.net |
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Lili, a thirty-three-year-old
French photographer, accepts an assignment to photograph the
remote village of Agnam, in the Senegalese desert. It is the
first time she's set foot in Africa. Although she arouses the
immediate affection and curiosity of the inhabitants, Lili does
not really stop to take stock. The photos she takes protect
her from facing the questions she is asked about her life as
a single woman. She hardly notices that Aminata, an unmarried
and lonely woman of her age, lays the foundations of an improbable
and powerful friendship. When Lili returns to Normandy, something
has shifted or cracked and she has a hard time resuming her
past life. In her own awkward and impulsive way, Lili deals
with the unsettling sensation that Africa has left her. She
often visits Moussa, an immigrant worker from Agnam who works
at the nearby power plant. One day, Moussa tells Lili that Aminata
has given birth to a son. Because the child is fatherless, they
will probably be chased away from the village. With sheer determination
and compassion, Lili manages to alter local customs and help
her friend find her own path in the process.
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| PHOTO Casque
d'Or Films |
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