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Two hundred years ago, the people of Senegal, like many of their West African neighbours, experienced the greatest human rights abuse of all time – the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Wolof, Fulani, Halpulaar and Serer people were captured and chained in slave ships for three months, where only the strongest survived the middle passage, only to be sold like cattle in the Americas. 200 years later, hundreds of Senegalese young men are ironically embarking on the same dangerous journey across the Atlantic, but this time by their own free will, and on fishing boats as opposed to slave ships.
These disturbing ironies, despite their slight nuances, were one of our first thoughts upon reading the synopsis, and watching the film in its entirety. History and current events seem to be intertwined and difficult questions such as: upon the millions of Africans whose bodies lay on the bed of the Atlantic Ocean as a consequence of the slave trade, how many more now lay afresh with their ancestors in this day and age?
La Pirogue
La Pirogue tells the story of an experienced fisherman and family man named Baye Laye (Souleymane Seye Ndiaye), who is ‘coerced’ into using his expertise to captain a pirogue filled with 30 Senegalese and Guinean individuals- some of whom have never seen the sea before. Their destination is Spain, and Baye Laye initially struggles with the temptation and pressure to embark on this dangerous journey, but later gives in as economic pressures, moral sensibilities and the desire to realise his own hopes prevail.
The Dakar-based smuggling operation appears to be a smooth and common business, as financial transactions and deals are swiftly closed, and a steady stream of willing and hopeful men are plentiful. Before the pirogue even sets sail, we see how tenacious young men desire to leave Senegal through the characters Abou (Malaminé 'Yalenguen' Dramé) and Kaba (Babacar Oualy), who enviously highlight the names of their peers who have left Senegal and built luxurious homes, and those in successful musical bands. They harbor naive expectations of becoming a professional footballer and a music producer once they land on European shores, which causes the audience to feel pity on their child-like, yet understandable gullibility.
As the pirogue and its passengers embark on their journey, we initially see minor tensions across ethnic and linguistic lines, bullying from Lansana (Laïty Fall) the middle man of the smuggling operation, and friction caused by the discovery of a female stowaway named Nafy (Mame Astou Diallo). However as the journey lengthens, we begin to see friendships form, tension and rivalry lessen, and support between brethren strengthen. The first couple of days on the pirogue appear to be fine. Baye Laye is doing an excellent job of navigating the Pirogue, food, power and health are in good measure, and they seem to be making steady progress towards their destination. However, there is an overwhelming sense amongst the audience that this good fortune will not last for long. This foretelling is particularly illustrated when the pirogue encounters another boat whose passengers are stranded without food or fuel. The crew’s faith is tested, and they decide not to rescue the destitute passengers, which marks their ominous fate on the high seas of the Atlantic.
Almost predictably, their boat is caught up in a deadly storm, which cements in the minds of the characters and the audience that their fortunes have turned, and that a precarious situation lays ahead of them. The storm is the crew’s first experience of death and misery, which causes fear, insecurity and an increase in prayers and exhalations to God amongst the passengers. Soon after the storm, the pirogue’s engine gives in, and we tragically see passengers perish one by one, as food and water diminish, and thirst, exhaustion and exposure to the elements claim the lives of the old and young.
When it appears that there is no hope left, we are exposed to the inner thoughts of some of the last remaining passengers as they reflect on their lives, decisions, families and God, before they too expectedly die. Just when it seems like the last survivors will perish; the Spanish Red Cross discovers the Pirogue, where only 4 passengers remain. They are rescued, however sent back to Senegal, where they receive a mere sandwich on their arrival. As Baye Laye and Abou walk home together from the airport, we question if they think their decision to cross the Atlantic was worth it, and what lessons they have learnt about themselves.
The film ends with a dedication to the 300,000 West Africans that have perished as a result of crossing the Atlantic to greener pastures in Europe, a jarring figure which Moussa Touré puts into context by providing human faces, an emotive storyline, and infallible dreams.
Source | Images courtesy of Covering Media, Rue89, CNN. Video courtesy of YouTube.
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