Private Project

Mamody, the last baobab digger

In the southwest of Madagascar, the Mahafaly plateau is an extremely arid land. Here, the rains fall only a few times a year. In these very difficult living conditions, the inhabitants of the small village of Ampotaka found a unique solution to store water.

  • Cyrille Cornu
    Director
  • Cyrille Cornu
    Writer
  • Cyrille Cornu
    Producer
  • Mina Vorimaro Nindry
    Music
  • Thüryn Mitchell
    Voice over
  • Wilfred Ramahafaly
    Film fixer
  • Sylvia Andriamampianina
    Malagasy translations
  • Cyrille Cornu
    Editor
  • Thuryn Mitchell
    Sound mixing
  • Jean-Michel Petit
    Color grading
  • Cyrille Cornu
    Cameraman
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Nature, Environment, Ethnology
  • Runtime:
    50 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 21, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    France
  • Country of Filming:
    Madagascar
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 25th International Ecological Film Festival to Save And Preserve
    Khanty-Mansiysk
    Russian Federation
    June 4, 2022
    World Premiere
    Official selection
  • 23th International Golden Saffron Documentary Film Festival
    Safranbolu
    Turkey
    June 11, 2022
    Turkish Premiere
    Special Jury Award
  • 1st International Herb Symposium Film & Photography Festival
    Rutland
    United States
    July 31, 2022
    North American Premiere
    Official selection
  • 9th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra
    Ierapetra
    Greece
    August 5, 2022
    Greek Premiere
    2nd Award Short Fiction Documentary
  • 4th Festival Kino Bled
    Bled
    Slovenia
    August 9, 2022
    East European Premiere
    Best Wildlife / Nature Features
  • 7th Panama Canal International Film Festival
    Panamá
    Panama
    August 16, 2022
    Central American Premiere
    International Documentary Feature Award
  • 14th Silafest
    Belgrade
    Serbia
    September 3, 2022
    Serbian Premiere
    Best Ecological Film & Production Award
  • 7th International Environmental Film Festival of Patagonia
    Chubut
    Argentina
    September 5, 2022
    South American Premiere
    Selection
  • 5th Terres Travel Festival - Films & Creativity
    Tortosa
    Spain
    September 5, 2022
    Spanish Premiere
    Best feature film
  • 3rd Serbest International Film Festival
    Kishinev
    Moldova, Republic of
    August 28, 2022
    Moldovan Premiere
    Official selection
  • 1st Lane Doc Fest
    Jackson
    United States
    September 17, 2022
    Official selection
  • 6th Doku Baku – International Documentary Film Festival
    Baku
    Azerbaijan
    September 21, 2022
    Azerbaijan Premiere
    Jury's Special Mention
  • 5th Heritales - International Heritage Film Festival
    Porto
    Portugal
    September 23, 2022
    Portuguese Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 49th Ekotopfilm - Envirofilm Festival
    Bratislava
    Slovakia
    September 25, 2022
    Slovakian Premiere
    Official selection
  • 20th Matsalu Nature Film Festival
    Lihula
    Estonia
    September 21, 2022
    Estonian Premiere
    Finalist
  • 10th Wildlife Vaasa Festival-International Nature Film Festival
    Vaasa
    Finland
    September 28, 2022
    Finnish Premiere
    Honorable Mention
  • 33th Rovereto Archeologia Memorie Film Festival
    Rovereto
    Italy
    September 28, 2022
    Italian Premiere
    Jury's Mention
  • 3rd Dili International Film Festival
    Dili
    Timor-Leste
    September 29, 2022
    Asian Premiere
    Official selection
  • 2nd Berkeley Springs Film Festival
    Berkeley Springs
    United States
    September 30, 2022
    Selection
  • 10th Finisterra – Arrábida Film Art & Tourism Festival
    Sesimbra
    Portugal
    October 6, 2022
    Special Award
  • 23th MEDIMED Documentary Market
    Barcelona
    Spain
    October 12, 2022
    Official selection
  • 10th Zagreb Tourfilm Festival
    Zagreb
    Croatia
    October 13, 2022
    Croatian Premiere
    Third Place Documentary Award
  • 12th Festival della Comunicazione e del Cinema Archeologico
    Licodia Eubea
    Italy
    October 12, 2022
    Premio Archeoclub d’Italia
  • 12th Wildlife Conservation Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    October 13, 2022
    New York Premiere
    Official selection
  • 19th Festival International du Film Panafricain de Cannes
    Cannes
    France
    French Premiere
    Official selection
  • 10th Chania Film Festival
    Chania
    Greece
    October 19, 2022
    Official selection
  • 3rd Desert Edge Global Film Festival
    Andore
    India
    October 21, 2022
    Indian Premiere
    Official selection
  • 22th China International Conference of Science and Education Producer
    Beijing
    China
    October 27, 2022
    Chinese Premiere
    Official selection
  • 8th Cardiff International Film Festival
    Cardiff
    United Kingdom
    October 29, 2022
    UK Premiere
    Official selection
  • 29th SUNCINE International Environmental Film Festival
    Barcelona
    Spain
    November 3, 2022
    Barcelona Premiere
    In Competition
  • 11th SunChild International Environmental Festival
    Yerevan
    Armenia
    November 6, 2022
    Armenian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 12th Amorgos Tourism Film Festival
    Amorgos
    Greece
    November 8, 2022
  • 1st Golden Giraffe International Film Festival
    Nice
    France
    November 8, 2022
    Official selection
  • 10th Africa International Film Festival
    Lagos
    Nigeria
    November 9, 2022
    African Premiere
    Nominee in Documentary Category
  • 2nd Sustainable Stories Film Fest & Screening Series
    Houston
    United States
    November 10, 2022
    Official selection
  • 2nd British Columbia Environmental Film Festival
    Vancouver
    Canada
    November 15, 2022
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 4th Alter do Chão Film Festival
    Santarém
    Brazil
    November 18, 2022
    South American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 3rd All Living Things Environmental Film Festival
    Panchgani
    India
    November 19, 2022
    Official Selection
  • 8th Festival Cinemística
    Granada
    Spain
    November 20, 2022
    Granada Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 5th Festival Sud de Sciences
    Montpellier
    France
    November 23, 2022
    Official selection
  • 4th Nepal Cultural International Film Festival
    Katmandu
    Nepal
    December 9, 2022
    Nepalese premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • 3Boxmedia
    Distributor
    Country: Germany
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand, Pay Per View, Hotel, Airline, Ship, Free TV, Paid TV, Console / Handheld Device
Director Biography - Cyrille Cornu

Cyrille Cornu, an explorer, is not only a scientist but also an filmmaker and photographer. For a decade, he has dedicated his research efforts to the baobabs of Madagascar. With numerous publications on this subject, he annually leads expeditions deep into the remote forests of Madagascar to study these magnificent giants. The island itself serves as an unparalleled source of inspiration, boasting exceptional nature, lighting, encounters, and landscapes. Since arriving in Antananarivo in 2010, Cyrille has tirelessly traversed the Malagasy territory, capturing captivating images with his camera.

In 2015, he released his debut film titled "Baobabs between Land and Sea," which gained worldwide recognition. This film was selected by over a hundred festivals in more than seventy countries, securing an impressive thirty-five awards, including four grand prizes. Propelled by this success, Cyrille decided to transition from his research endeavors and focus on producing documentary films. Concurrently, he continues to work on photographic reports and books. He is directing a documentary series comprising three 50-minute films centered around the baobabs of Madagascar. Filming sessions for this series took place between January 2017 and August 2020. "Mamody, the Last Baobab Digger" serves as the inaugural film of this series, with the other two currently in production.

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Director Statement

Cyrille Cornu's documentary films are deeply intertwined with his journeys, encounters, and capturing life's moments as they unfold before the camera. While he may have a screenplay and established narration in place beforehand, a significant portion of his production takes shape during the filming sessions. For Cyrille, this interaction is paramount in breathing life and spontaneity into his films. It is in these improvised moments with his subjects that the most stimulating and often fascinating aspects emerge.