Institute of Contemporary Arts

LFF: Tall as the Baobab Tree

Coumba and her little sister Debo are the first in their family to go to school. They live with their father, mother and elder brother in a remote African village, where meals are prepared over open fires and water is drawn from wells. Their father is a devout Muslim and the family depend on their cows and goats as the only source of income. When the sisters are at school their brother tends the cows on the almost arid land, and sometimes feeds them the leaves of the giant baobab tree. In an unfortunate turn of events, the brother falls from the baobab tree and breaks his leg. Suddenly the unaffordable medical bill threatens the family’s survival, and their father decides to sell 11-year-old Debo into an arranged marriage. Torn between loyalty to her elders and her dreams for the future, Coumba hatches a secret plan to rescue her young sister from a fate she has not chosen. An exquisitely performed and beautifully photographed drama that is a marvel to watch.

Dir. Jeremy Teicher, Senegal, USA 2012. 82 min.
Cast: Alexi Pappas, Dior Kâ, Oumoul Kâ, Cheikh Dia.

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