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Keur Simbara

Keur Simbara is an intimate, lyrical short documentary that follows a group of women community organizers in a rural Senegalese village as they build and sustain systems of health, finance, agriculture, and domestic infrastructure.

Through intergenerational conversation and everyday observations, the film explores the deep relationships among mothers, daughters, and neighbors, highlighting the collective labor that upholds their community.

Amid water scarcity and environmental challenges, they articulate their hopes for the future and the legacy they wish to leave behind. Keur Simbara is a tribute to communal wisdom and the power of local organizing.

  • Sea Mahsati
    Director
  • Vashni Korin
    Producer
  • Sea Mahsati
    Producer
  • Dusu Kante
    Key Cast
  • Awa Diop
    Key Cast
  • Coumba Ba
    Key Cast
  • Adama Diop
    Key Cast
  • Shahriar Shafiani
    Editor
  • Kiara Danae
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 13, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Senegal
  • Language:
    Wolof
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sea Mahsati

Sea Mahsati is an international award-winning filmmaker and birth worker of Caribbean heritage. Their work blends myth and spirituality to tell stories of mourning, maternal inheritance, and self-possession, guided by Black feminist principles. Sea approaches filmmaking as ritual—shaping personal and ancestral memory into collective reflection. They are a 2024–2025 Baldwin for the Arts fellow, a 2024 Resisting Narratives of Erasure fellow with Visionary Justice StoryLab, and are currently developing their Howard University MFA thesis film.

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Director Statement

The story of this project began about six months prior to filming. I traveled to Senegal and was invited by Tostan, an Africa-based NGO, to direct a film highlighting one of the communities they had worked with. Initially, I had chosen a different village and was preparing to shoot there. However, upon arrival with my U.S. and Senegal-based crew, we were informed that due to recent election-related restrictions, filming in that area was no longer permitted.

That unexpected shift led us to Keur Simbara, a remote village in the Thiès region of Senegal, where I was immediately drawn to the women leading their community. Their strength, intelligence, and deeply rooted practices of care and organizing stood out. The women we interviewed are leaders in every sense of the word: a farmer, a solar engineer, midwives, a financial officer, each playing a crucial role in sustaining their village and securing a future for the next generation. Their collective response to water scarcity and other challenges is a testament to the power of communal leadership and resourcefulness.
Over two weeks, my team and I immersed ourselves in their world. We shared meals, sipped tea, laughed, listened, and learned. Through our interviews and daily exchanges, we witnessed firsthand the power of collective care and the deep commitment these women have not just to survival, but to the thriving of future generations.

As a filmmaker, I believe in storytelling that honors the people who so generously welcome us into their lives. It was an honor to document the wisdom, determination, and interconnectedness that define Keur Simbara’s community leaders. I hope that in sharing this film, audiences will be inspired to carry these lessons into their own communities, to recognize the power of care as an organizing force. And, most importantly, I hope that the brilliance of Keur Simbara’s women returns to them tenfold, as they continue seeking sustainable solutions and partnerships in their ongoing fight for water security.