Mali / 2020 / 70mins / Documentary / Bambara and French

Malian filmmaker Hawa Aliou N'Diaye believes that she is possessed by a jinn. In this documentary, she interviews other women in her community who also believe that they are controlled by jinn, which in some cases claim to be their husbands. Delving into Malian traditions and myths, N'Diaye explores the ethereal dimensions of the world around her.

Hawa Aliou N'Diaye

Born and raised in Mali, Hawa Aliou N'Diaye studied business law at the University of Juridical and Political Sciences of Bamako from 2005 to 2010. She completed several internships in courts, law firms, tax offices and in customs and at the University of Letters and Sciences of Bamako (ULSHB). She became a legal assistant in 2014. In 2015, she directed her first short fiction film Les mains d'or de Samba selected at FESPACO in 2017. She has been participating in writing residencies for film projects since 2014 and during this time has trained in cinema at the Gaston-Berger University in Saint-Louis, Senegal. In 2016, she directed L'absence a short documentary, which won several awards at different festivals. That same year, she participated in the co-production of the feature-length documentary The School of Hostages. Her documentary film, Kuma!, which centers on the issue of incest, was released in March 2019 and which several awards. She is also Director of the "Fêrê Demsenw" festival, a cultural festival for children. She has trained several young people in scriptwriting and is also president of the association Scène des Arts et Culture which innovates Malian culture. Learn More