Cinequest Film Festival / RiverRun International Film Festival 2020 – Dafa Metti (Difficult)
Under Paris’ Eiffel Tower, far from their loved ones and hounded by the police, illegal Senegalese migrants sell souvenirs of the monument to support their families back home.
Interview with Director Tal Amiran
Watch Dafa Metti (Difficult) here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks very much!
The idea of making Dafa Metti started when I travelled to Paris a couple of years ago, attending a festival with my previous short doc Sand Men. When I visited the Eiffel Tower, I noticed numerous people of African descent, selling miniature souvenirs of the tower. I also witnessed how the police would suddenly show up and chase the vendors. This made me realised that they were selling the souvenirs illegally.
When I researched the subject, I discovered that most of the vendors are from Senegal, living in France illegally. The contradiction between the items they were selling - trinkets of the most iconic French monument, and their illegal status in France was surreal. I wanted to learn more about the people and hear their stories. Which is why I started making the film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I feel that Dafa Metti offers a different angle on a timely subject, telling an important story that needs to be told - the reality of living as an undocumented African migrant in Paris, the persecution and sometimes even mortalities of migrants at the hands of the French police.
The film’s stylistic approach is not journalistic but rather poetic, and I hope that people are captivated by the story.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film touches on the universal subject of migration, through personal testimonies told in a voice-over by the film’s three contributors. I hope that the film is successful in telling these stories in a new and creative way.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Being a documentary, the film did not have a script. I knew what the starting point was, but I never knew how the story would progress and it was a process of discovery while making the film.
The story was written in the edit, as I had many hours of footage and audio interviews.
The process of crafting the film and constructing the story evolved through a long and creative editing process.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback I have received so far has been very positive. The film had its World Premiere at Cinequest Film Festival, and will then be screened at numerous festivals in the US and Europe. A beginning of a festival run is always very exciting!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Making the film was quite a solitary process, as I directed, produced, shot and edited the film myself. When a film gets released, it has a life of its own, and one can never predict what the reaction to it will be and whether people will respond to the story as much as you.
So it is always a great feeling when the film gets selected and receives positive reactions from audiences.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
It would be great if new audiences discovered the film by reading about it on wearemovingstories.com and hopefully being able to then go and watch it at a festival near them.
Wearemovestories.com is a great source of information, spotlighting films that are on the current festival circuit, and it is also a fantastic source of inspiration.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I welcome anyone who might be interested to get in touch!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
It would be great if the film helps to change some people’s perception of migration, especially in times of growing intolerance towards migrants in the UK and worldwide.
The stories heard in the film might shock some, because I don’t think many people actually realise what illegal migrants in Paris go through. I certainly did not when I started making the film.
I think the film brings to light a different side of Paris, which is more hidden and under the surface - the migrants’ experience of the city is quite different from what tourists see. This isn’t the city of ‘chic’ and fashion, the ‘city of love’ and all the other stereotypes we are all used to.
For me, the iconic Eiffel Tower will be forever associated with the struggle for survival of the Senegalese sellers.
Would you like to add anything else?
I would like to give credit to all the great people who collaborated with me on the film and who did such an amazing job:
Sound Design - Rick Blything
Music - Monofee
Interpreters Senny Camara and Oumou Kalthoum
and translators
Sokhna Sall, Momar Lissa Sene and Singar Diouf.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am at an early stage of development of my new film so I cannot say too much at this stage, but all I can say is that I am very excited about it and look forward to sharing it when it is completed!
Interview: March 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Dafa Metti (Difficult)
Under Paris’ Eiffel Tower, far from their loved ones and hounded by the police, illegal Senegalese migrants sell souvenirs of the monument to support their families back home.
Length: 14:36
Director: Tal Amiran
Producer: Tal Amiran
Writer: Tal Amiran
About the writer, director and producer:
TAL AMIRAN is a multi-award-winning director and editor based in London, UK. His films have screened at numerous festivals including AFI Docs, Cinequest, Big Sky Documentary Film festival, Savannah Film Festival and Brooklyn Film Festival, winning Best Documentary Short at several festivals including Sarasota Film festival and London Short Film festival. Tal’s films have been showcased by Vimeo Staff Pick, Movie Maker Magazine and Nowness as well as being acquired by the BFI National Archive. Tal is also a lecturer on the Film and Moving Image BA at Norwich University of the Arts, UK.
Looking for: journalists, film festival directors
Facebook: Dafa Metti / Difficult
Twitter: @TalAmiran
Hashtags used: #DafaMetti
Website: talamiran.com
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? RiverRun International Film Festival/Winston-Salem, N. Carolina - March 28; American Documentary Film Festival/Palm Springs, California - March 29; Euregion Film Festival, Heerlen, Netherlands - March 20