Race To Tilébin

Growing up in America as an African-Arab Muslim and Black immigrant, I never fit neatly into any box. Picking one box meant choosing one part of my heritage over another, which never felt right. Growing up in North Africa for the first decade of my life, I experienced many forms of discrimination from being teased for my dark skin in Algeria to being ostracized for being a tomboy in Mali. I have often found myself in the position of an outside observer. Unable to claim ownership to any single culture, I have tried to find balance by freely claiming different parts of all of these cultures in my storytelling. These experiences have helped shape my interest and critical view of cultural, social and political issues. These have also given me strength and cultivated my ability to finding the familiar in the unfamiliar. This is why I’m most excited to explore the themes of cultural gender bias, post-colonialism and underdogs overcoming impossible obstacles.

“Race to Tilébin” highlights the pressures of cultural assimilation within one’s own culture, as well as abroad. The story is loosely based on my own relationship with my father. My Father’s first degree was in mechanical engineering, and he always loved working on cars. I grew up helping him, which cemented the bond between us throughout the years. Wherever we were and in whatever country we found ourselves in, there was warmth and familiarity in discussing cars together. I didn’t fit neatly into what was expected of a girl in the different cultures we lived in; my father had to tread carefully in standing up for me while explaining cultural nuances so that I could eventually conform.

The title of the story, “Race to Tilébin,” which translates from Bambara as ‘Race to Sunset,’ is a metaphoric reference to racing. Sunrise and sunset is a well-known metaphor for life: a sequence of birth, living and eventually death. Sunsets also feature strongly in African Proverbs – a symbol I was often surrounded with growing up. To me, sunsets represent the sequence of all the infinite possibilities that transpire over a lifetime, no matter how long or how short. While a sunset can symbolize the end of days, it can also signify a new beginning, a new way of living. I interpret the sunset as a beautiful way to encapsulate what it feels like when we move on from a certain moment in our lives.

In “Race to Tilébin,” I’ve used the sunset as the destination for the protagonist, as a new day and a new path of possibilities for her that she may not see for herself. Awa is racing away from the norm and cultural expectations towards the infinite, new possibilities the sunset brings. The film will be an immersive cultural experience as the audience not only discovers the unique customs of Mali but are equally enthralled by the excitement of the race. Visually, I was highly inspired by the way the desert was captured in John Curran’s “Tracks” and the cultural specificity in Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,” which also takes place in the Malian desert. The shots will accentuate the contrast between the desert’s beauty and its many dangers.

I want my audience to walk away from the film having learned about the existence and global affluence of the Paris to Dakar Rally, as well as its impact on the African continent. I also want them to get a sense of Malian culture, to convey the complexity of the African experience and the communal sense of kinship that most Africans have. The audience for this film is broad – anyone interested in learning about African culture, racing fans, young women and families alike.

Writing Race to Tilébin has been a transformational experience for me, as it is the first feature screenplay I’m producing. I believe I am also traveling a path to new possibilities, racing to my own sunset.