Anthropologist and historian Jean-Yves Loude shares the results of his in-depth investigation into Mandinka Emperor Abu Bakr II, who set off from the Senegalese coast at the head of a fleet of two thousand boats in 1311 according to a written account recorded in an official 14th-century encyclopedia. In parallel, the voice of Cheick Tidiane Seck is our guide on a journey to the heart of the Mali Empire: where the great Battle of Kirina took place, leading to the advent of an empire that would keep growing until Emperor Abu Bakr II set off on his exploration.

AWARDS:

Best Documentary Feature film-Short-Long World Festival (Corrientes-Argentina) - 2023,

Best soundtrack - Quibdo Africa film Festival (Columbia) - 2023,

Prix du jury - Festival international du film panafricain de Cannes (France) - 2023,

Mención Honorífica -Festival Internacional del Arte y del Independiente MIAX (México) - 2023

Director Bio/Statement:

A graduate of the Institut International de l'Image et du Son, Thierry Bugaud studied ethnology at Paris VII university. He produced a number of photographic series, including Les Grands Moulins de Paris. In 1998, he created the Art Evolution studio and produced around a hundred music albums. He also made sound documentaries: La Terre des Hommes Intègres in Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali. He then went on to found La Boite Dans la Boîte and has been producing documentaries since 2008.