Senegal / 1997 / 30mins / Documentary, Dance / English and French

Senegalese often set up a temporary stage at a street corner. It is the Guew Bi, the dancing circle where a cheerful crowd dressed in beautiful attire slowly gathers. The event is called a sabar. Soon drummers start playing and one at a time, women and men get up and enter the Guew Bi to perform the most exuberant, breathtaking dances. This film, which introduces us to an astonishing contemporary art form deeply rooted in African tradition, was shot in the streets of Dakar, with the participation of Master Drummer Doudou Ndiaye Rose.

Françoise Bouffault

Born and raised in France, Françoise is an anthropologist, writer and linguist. She has taught in Stuttgart, Germany and at the San Marcos University of Lima, Peru. She previously worked at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for twenty five years training Staff and Diplomats in acquiring language proficiency in French. In 1997, after being trained in various forms of Senegalese and Guinean dance, she produced and directed a documentary Guew Bi: Sabar Dances Of Senegal. She has been a constant supporter of the African Film Festival since its inception in 1993, serving as facilitator for Francophone filmmakers, solicited as translator and interpreter, and consulted for her editorial and critical advice. Learn More