Les gardiennes du fleuve (Guardians of the River)

Hassanie Mahomat

Niger–Burkina Faso

2025, 13 minutes

In the streets of Niamey, a group of women known as the takakoyos fight for their survival and dignity. Amina, 75, and her companions—who range in age from young to old—have left their villages in search of a better life. Despite the poverty that might otherwise drive them to beg, they refuse to hold out their hands for charity. Armed with cups of sand balanced on their shoulders—a load known as the Takala—they traverse the city in search of their daily sustenance. Unbeknownst to them, by extracting sand from the Niger River, their labor plays an essential role in protecting the river's environment.

Rentrons, (Let’s Go Home)

Nasser Bessalati

Algérie

2023, 25 minutes

Dans un village des montagnes Béjaouï, dans le nord de l’Algérie, Nouria rencontre Abdel, un Français, qui vit et travaille dans ce pays depuis quelques mois. Suite à un pari perdu, les deux jeunes gens prennent la route en mobylettes le long de la côte méditerranéenne. Leur but : embarquer sur un bateau qui les ramènera en France.

In a village in the Béjaïa mountains of northern Algeria, Nouria meets Abdel—a Frenchman who has been living and working in the country for a few months. Following a lost bet, the two young people hit the road on mopeds, traveling along the Mediterranean coast. Their goal: to board a boat that will take them back to France.

Noce d’eau (Water Wedding)

Aurielle Jioya

Benin

2025, 20 minutes

Kémi, a young Frenchman of Beninese descent, discovers an old photograph of his grandfather’s family home in Benin—which has since been converted into a guesthouse. He decides to book it for a weekend getaway with friends, hoping to learn more about his roots. However, his encounter with Angèle—a mysterious young woman who claims to have known his grandfather, Sourou—turns their stay completely upside down.

Omby/Zebu

Kuro Mi

Madagascar

2024, 3 minutes

Une petite histoire de l’emblème culturel de Madagascar, le zébu, bien plus qu’un animal pour Madagascar. Il incarne un patrimoine vivant, un symbole d’identité et une ressource essentielle dans la vie quotidienne des Malgaches.

A short tale about Madagascar’s cultural emblem: the zebu. For Madagascar, the zebu is far more than just an animal; it embodies a living heritage, a symbol of identity, and an essential resource in the daily lives of the Malagasy people.

Vérité de cœurs (Truth of Hearts)

Delphine Yerbonga

Burkina Faso

2024, 12 minutes

A Arly, des individus enturbannés abattent des hommes au petit matin dont Amédée époux de Koumbo. Craignant de nouvelles représailles après le départ des assaillants, Koumbo, docteur vétérinaire et son fils Aziz de 11 ans trouvent refuge auprès de la belle-famille à Ouagadougou. Mais celle-ci refuse de l'aider à offrir une sépulture à son époux, l'accusant d'avoir causé la mort de leur fils.

In Arly, turbaned assailants gun down several men in the early morning hours—among them, Amédée, the husband of Koumbo. Fearing further reprisals after the attackers have fled, Koumbo—a veterinarian—and her 11-year-old son, Aziz, seek refuge with her in-laws in Ouagadougou. However, her in-laws refuse to help her provide a proper burial for her husband, accusing her of being responsible for their son's death.

Plastic Men

Niger

Lumen

Stephane Belanger

Canada/Québec

2025, 13 minutes

Claude, 70 ans, vit seule et achète quotidiennement, ou presque, des lampes en ligne de façon compulsive. Une obsession qui l’amène à vouloir coûte que coûte, ce jour-là, une petite lampe victorienne en porcelaine, un poil kitsch. Seulement, au moment où elle croit le marché conclu avec la vendeuse et qu’elle s’apprête à braver le mauvais temps pour aller la récupérer, l’impensable se produit : l’objet a été vendu à quelqu’un d’autre. Claude voit rouge. Cette lampe est à elle et elle est bien déterminée à ne pas la laisser aux mains d’autres acheteurs, et conséquemment, perdre sa chance de côtoyer du monde, même brièvement, dans sa morne journée.

Claude, 70, lives alone and compulsively buys lamps online—almost every day. This obsession leads her, on this particular day, to covet—at any cost—a small, porcelain Victorian lamp that is ever so slightly kitsch. However, just as she believes the deal with the seller is sealed and prepares to brave the foul weather to go pick it up, the unthinkable happens: the item has been sold to someone else. Claude sees red. That lamp belongs to her, and she is fully determined not to let it fall into the hands of other buyers—and, consequently, lose her chance to interact with other people, however briefly, during her dreary day.