The audience meets Issa (Boubacar Dembele) in the back of a pick-up truck lying down beneath some tarpaulin. When the vehicle stops, he is hoisted out of the back by his father and carried to the cramped entrance of gold mine which he is then – under sufferance – lowered into the darkness of. Issa is an albino boy and, as the film then explores, they are considered to have properties that allow them to speak to the gold and, by singing to it, set forth a rich vein for the miners to exploit. The film is a fascinating look at a strange custom that blends the modern with the mythic and also touches on what such a custom means for a boy like Issa.
Filming on sets recreated in the caves of Gore Island, Senegal, much of The Boy with the White Skin takes place in the dark. The camera sticks close to Issa as he is lowered, terrified, into the mine and then must scramble through claustrophobic tunnels to reach the workers. Once in the mining cavern with them, he is forced to sing until water begins to coalesce on the surface of the cave – he is seen to have reached out to the beast and been blessed with the promise of gold.
What is most powerful about Simon Payan’s short film is the position of Issa. As he begs his father not to be sent down the mine, he is told not to bring shame to the family. As he tries to grip the sides of the tunnel to stop himself being lowered, the miners unclench his fingers. When he can’t find his voice to sing, he is cowed by barked orders. More tragically, when he emerges from the tunnel, he can’t find his father, instead wandering the surface of the mines while workers crowd to touch him and intone “he’s ours.”
Director, screenplay, editing: Simon Panay Cast: Boubacar Dembele, Alassane Diaw, Serigne Wadane Ndiaye, Moussa Thiam, Amadou Traore Producers: Laetitia Denis, Souleymane Kebe, Maud Leclair, Kevin Rousseau, Rafael-Andrea Soatto Cinematography: Simon Gouffault
Sound: Vivien Roche Music: Philippe Fivet Production companies: Astou Productions (Senegal), Bandini Films (France)
Venue: Oldenburg Film Festival (Shorts)
In Wolof 14 minutes
Read more of our short film coverage over at Verdict Shorts
