The term Wolof actually means “Our Boat”, which is where the name for the country of Senegal comes from. Covering an area of almost 200,000 square kilometers, Senegal has an estimated population of more than 13 million.
Out of those 13 million, most of them live in poverty despite the economic reform program instituted in 1993. The gross domestic product has risen by 5% from 1995 to 2001, but despite many donors, the economy is still in a wreck.
The short movie which includes moments from the capitol of the country, Dakar, as well as Thies, the country’s leading city in textile fishing. Some of the moments are also filmed in villages surrounding the two big cities.
Short, but very effective moments, the documentary paints a beautiful picture of the food processing industry in the country, fishing, and the life of the ordinary and average citizens of the country. The movie was filmed for the purpose of a local non-government association.
The most interesting aspect of the movie is that people in villages are generally happier than those living in the cities. As the director puts it, one of the villagers was even hesitant to send his children to the city, because it would fill their time with “unnecessary needs”. It really gives you a sense of appreciation for what you have, and what you do and do not need.
