Senegal / 2024 / 91mins / Documentary / Wolof and French

Ndar, the original name of Saint Louis, an island at the mouth of the Senegal River, was the port of colonial penetration into West Africa four centuries ago.
An economic, cultural and political crossroads, it served as a laboratory for the “civilizing mission”. Commerce, town planning, education and mixed heritage were the instruments to assimilate populations, establish themselves in the country and exploit the wealth.
While some cannot deny history and have kept their Saint-Louisian art of living intact, others want to put an end to the colonial heritage. For many young people today, it is time to think about history differently. Yet everyone has managed to preserve their keen sense of living well together.
Saint Louisians and historians tell us the rich and complex saga of the Waalo kingdom.

Ousmane William Mbaye

Born in Paris in 1952, Ousmane William Mbaye is the son of the famous woman of culture, Annette Mbaye of Erneville. Mbaye trained at the Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma Français and studied at the University of Paris VIII Vincennes and went on to make films in Senegal. From 1990 to 1997, he coordinated the Rencontres Cinématographiques of Dakar (RECIDAK). Learn More