The Dawn
Beutset
2023
Switzerland / Senegal
30 mins
Wolof
NYC Premiere
Short Film Competition
| Alicia Mendy | |
| Rhea Plangg, Delphine Jeanneret, Iman Djionne | |
When a parasite contaminates all the drinking water of Dakar, pills are created to neutralize it. Alioune, can no longer afford his pills and is exposed to the symptoms of the parasite – madness and dementia. As the days go by, he realizes that he has never been so lucid, and he begins a journey of political and spiritual awakening.
About the Director
Alicia Mendy is a young director focusing on genre cinema in Senegal. An alumnus of HEAD-Geneva, she is interested in cinema that represents and valorizes African and Afro-descendant peoples through the fantasy and science-fiction genres. African spiritualities and oral traditions are central to her short films, which explore utopias and dystopias. She also composes her own film scores, ranging from classical to electro and Afro rhythms.
Reviews
Best of BlackStar 2024 – Letterboxd, by Adesola Thomas
Photos (Click on Photo to View)
Awards
2024 Kurzfilmtage Winterthur – Best Student Film
2024 Rio Curtas Cinema – Best Director
