LA VIE EN SPIRALE
Regie: Rama Thiaw Sénégal/Suisse Feature Fiction Language: Wolof Production Status: in development
– Senegal, 1974
Thiaroye, situated in the dust of Dakar, an overcrowded suburb full of wooden barracks, noisy children, and adults dreaming they’re Clint Eastwood or Pam Grier. One of them, the solitary witch, Malicka, likes to capture the life of her peers in photo. And among these, is the Gang of 5, the weed smokers. The gang’s members are Mess; Jimmy the Dice, who’d sell his own mother for a hand of poker; DJ Soul, a massive fan of James Brown; Landing Sané, the Dandy; and lastly, the tomboy, Anita.
Their big muse and inspiration is Yamba, the sorcerers’ marijuana. From the first toke in the morning to the last note at the disco; their days pass like swirls of smoke, living in a spiral. But one day, the national football team is expelled for having sold weed during an international competition. A government decree is immediately published to prohibit the commerce and use of this special weed.
This is the beginning of a long journey for our friends, the “ joint developers”. The only solution their foggy brains can see is to go and fetch the magic weed themselves from its native soil in Casamance, 300 miles from Thiaroye.
Director Biography
Rama THIAW was born in 1978, in Nouakchott. Mauritanian & Senegalese, she grew up between Mauritania, Senegal and Europe. In 2002, she participates in a workshop directed by Algerian Director Mohamed Bouamari and then she decided to become a director. So after her Master's degree in International Economics at the Sorbonne University, she chose a career in cinema and graduating at the University of Paris 8. And then she meets her first producer in 2006, Philippe Lacôte of Wassakara Production and directs her first Feature Documentary: Boul Fallé The Wrestling way.
Her last film,The Revolution Won’t Be Televised, has been premiere in the Berlinale 2016, in the Forum Section, and has won the FIPRESCI PRIZE, a special Mention of the CALIGARI PREIZ and The Jury Prize in the last JCC- Cartage Films Festival.
Writer, director and producer, she lives in Dakar, the Senegalese Capital where she has created BOUL FALLE IMAGES, a production film company.
Director’s Professional Experience:
– Writer- Director- Jury – Master Class- in Cinema Since 2010
Talent in Durban IFF (2013).Talent in Berlinale IFF (2014). Alumni at Hot Docs (2014). Alumni at JCC- Takmill (2014). Writing Residency at Realness (2017). Writing Residency Moulin d’Andé (2018) Writing Residency Torino ScriptLab (2018).
– Jury Member FIPA- France (2017). President of Jury African Film Festival of Besancon- France (2017) Master Class in Producing In West Africa (Ciné Banlieue 2015).
– Master Class in Political Documentary, Aesthetic and Evolution since 1895. (Ciné Droit Libre 2016).
– Cinema Producer and Founder Since 2010
Boul Fallé Images, a Senegalese Film Production Company based in Ouakam, Dakar, Senegal. Training, development and production of projects of young Senegalese Filmmakers. International coproducing. Executive producing and Distribution. Management and Administration.
– Producer and Founder May 2009 – June 2010
Pikine Productions, Non Profit Organization in Cinema, based in 166 Bis Rue de La Roquette, 75011, Paris. Training in Cinema. Development of projects around Music and Cinema in Africa.
Director’s Filmography
In Development:
– Life In A Spirale, 90mn, Super16mm, Feature - Writing Stage- Adaptation of ‘La Vie en Spiral’ of Abbasse Ndione, a Senegalese novelist. This project has been selected for the REALNESS Residency in South Africa (Nirox) in 2017 and in Torino ScripLab in 2018.
Writer -Director:
– The Vanishing, 90 MIN, HD, Feature Documentary Essay, Writing Stage, Produced by Laurent Duret of Bachibouzouk. Writer -Director- and DOP. This project has already won a development fund of the Scam (Brouillons d’un Rêve), a Writing Residency in the Moulin of Andé in 2018, and a writing fund from the CNC- Aide à l’écriture Cinéma.
– Zion Music, 90 MIN, HD, Feature Documentary about the political History of the Reggae Music, produced by Serge Lalou of the Films d’Ici, Boul Fallé Images, Flourishing Films. In Production. Writer -Director- and Producer.
Completed:
– The Revolution Won’t Be Televised, 110 MIN, HD, Feature Documentary, 2016.Produced by Rama Thiaw with Boul Fallé Images.
Writer -Director- Editor and Producer. This film has been screened in more than 54 films festivals around the world, Premiere in Berlinale 2016 and screened in MoMa in 2017.
Awards:
– FIPRESCI PRIZE of the FORUM SECTION, Berlinale 2016.
- A Special Mention of the CALIGARI PREIZ, Berlinale 2016.
- The Jury Prize of the JCC of Tunisia 2016.
Links:– Berlinale
– Moma
– Hollywoodreporter