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All Equal!

All Equal! is an evocative animated film that unfolds around a village fire where a grandfather narrates the poignant tale of his ancestors and their enslavement to his eager grandchildren. As the story begins, the children are transported to a time when their great-grandfather and his brothers were kidnapped by slave traders. The narrative takes them through harrowing scenes of captivity, forced labor, and the oppressive lives of enslaved in the masters' plantations. It vividly depicts the cruel reality of children and women being exploited and mistreated. Amidst this hardship, the grandfather's tale reveals a powerful revolution against their masters, leading to self-liberation and the founding of their own village. The film chronicles their struggle for freedom, the battles fought, and the sacrifices made, ultimately celebrating the resilience and unity of their community. The animated journey, rich in historical and cultural significance, ends on a note of gratitude and reverence for the ancestors' indomitable spirit and their fight for liberty.

  • Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Diop
    Director
    Mbelaan (2023)
  • Marie Rodet
    Writer
  • Mamadou Sène Cissé
    Writer
  • Marie Rodet
    Producer
  • Alexis Cabrera
    Producer
    Triumph Over Prejudice: The Montford Point Marines (2023)
  • Nelson Sarfoh
    Key Cast
    "Grandfather"
  • Binja Zihhalirwa
    Key Cast
    "Electromancy (2021)"
  • Albert Mendy
    Director of Production
    Winter Song (2015)
  • Project Type:
    Other
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 4 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • El Dorado Films LLC
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director - Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Diop
Director Statement

I’m a Senegalese filmmaker very committed and sensitive to issues of injustice in my cultural environment, from which I draw my film material. I recently set up the Dakar-based Ker doff Dreams animation studio of which All Equal! is the first film. All Equal! is based on a true story told by an African elder from a village founded by freed slaves. This is an important story to them and to me too, because it changes the way history is told in certain films, but also in our history textbooks. It's important to tell the younger generation that no one is born a slave and that we are all equal. Discrimination against people who are considered as descendants of ‘slaves’ is still vivid in some African regions. I have myself seen it in my own milieu. Telling this story through animation is therefore essential to raising awareness of discrimination and encouraging decision-makers around the world to fight against societal inequality and injustice.