Sand Path addresses migration by telling the family story of the German Canarian actress and director Aïda Ballmann. In the documentary, Aïda travels through Senegal visiting the places where her parents lived before she was born. In this adventure she discovers that her identity is the product of a Senegalese, Canarian and German cultural mix.
Sand Path invites you to reflect on humanity, which has always tended to mix, the opportunity to learn from each other, the fact that all people have the same needs and that, therefore, wars and borders do not have sense.
If human and cultural values were above political interests, would there still be wars? What would happen if emigration was a free right?
Technical data
Title: Sand Path | Camino de tierra | Sandweg
Gender: Short documentary film, road movie
Theme: Migration, integration
Year: 2018
Status: Distribution in Mowies.com
Director: Aïda Ballmann
Production company: Arteria Films
Duration: 21´
Format: Television
Countries: Senegal, Gambia, Europa
Languages: English, German, Spanish, Ollof & French
Camara: Sony Exmor R SteadyShot
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100% of the benefits are invested in the improvement of children’s living conditions
In 2017, we supported, through the Jerejef Association, Talibe children (children of large families without resources in Senegal) living in the Koranic Daaras schools. There they receive education in exchange for asking for money on the street for much of the day.
Jerejef improves the precarious conditions: it increases hopes of a decent future, minimizes exposure to street violence and lack of hygiene, …
In 2019 we collaborated with the Wat Arunothai temple (in northern Thailand) that houses thirty orphans and children of families without financial or psychic resources. The money is invested in school supplies, clothing, food and medical expenses.
We donated already
EUROS
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Shooting photos
Script, production, camera, direction & voice over: Aïda Ballmann
Edition: Génesis Lence
Color correction, stopmotion & graphic design: Selu Vega
Original music & sound mixing: Kiko Castro at Arteria Films
Traditional songs: Denis Singila & Atty
Thanks to: Family Ballmann, Cheikh Coli and family, Abdoulaye Diedhiou and family, Lamin Manneh and family, Eva Gamallo, Lamin Tamba, Lars Ostmann, Neighbours of Baja Kunda, Ginac and Djembering, Jerejef Organisation, JJ Montero, Eustaquio Álvarez, Alexis W, José Carlos Domínguez, Peter Vere Simmons and, specially to Jordi Suñol for his help and love to the children. Rest in peace.
Four chapters are shown in this documentary, filled with vivid images, accompanied by the voice-over from Aïda Ballmann and traditional African music that is mixed with European music. The chapters are:
1. Contrast (cultural difference between Europe and Africa)
2. Integration (in the African routine)
3. Encounter (with “lost” friends of Aïda’s parents)
4. Return (of the Ballmann family to Gambia and Senegal)
LEADING ROLES
Aïda Ballmann, actress and director, tells the story of how she perceives the cultural contrast as a positive aspect of which the human being can benefit, choosing the positive values of different cultures and assuming them as their own.
Ballmann Sister’s and the parents, Kitabo and Aminata, who emigrated to Senegal and from there to the Canary Islands in search of paradise on earth.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
Coli Family, friends from Kitabo and Aminata. They housed the parents of Aïda Ballmann for several years, integrating them in the clan (Senegal)
Diedhou Family, friends from Kitabo and Aminata (Senegal)
Lamin Tamba, artist and friend of Kitabo (Senegal)
Manneh Family, friends of Aïda Ballmann (Gambia)
Senegal: Dakar, Ziguinchor, Kap Skirring, Boucotte, Djémbering,…
Gambia: Baja Kunda, Banjul, Ginac,…
Europa: El Hierro (Canarias, Spain) & Venice (Italy)
SCRIPT, PRODUCTION, CAMARA, DIRECTION & VOICE OVER
Aïda Ballmann, she is a Spanish-German actress and director, writer, camera and producer of this project. Known as an actress for her participation in series such as El tiempo entre costuras, Águila Roja, Lo que escondían sus ojos, Brigada de fenómenos, etc. And featured in films such as The Extraodinary Tale and La velocidad de nuestros pensamientos. Awarded with three awards as best actress, she begins with Sand Path her career as director, following the need of sharing her realities and offering different points of view to the spectator.
What brought Aïda Ballmann to start this trip was, on the one side, being tired of the European routine, the anxiety of running after goals letting the present go by, and, on the other side, the curiosity of getting to know the past of her parents before she was born. The result is a documentary and reflections on humanity and migration.
EDITION
Génesis Lence, editor, director and photographer. Known for her work in documentaries like Los fantasmas del deseo from Paco Millán, Vida is Antarctica for DNA and CSIC, Innovación Biomédica, Houston tenemos un problema from Álvaro Toepke and the short film Sordas (director). www.genesislence.com
COLOUR CORRECTION, STOPMOTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN
Selu Vega, award-winning documentary and travel photographer, known for his book Indianos en La Palma, isleños en Cuba. www.seluvega.es
SOUND MIXING & ORIGINAL MUSIC
Kiko Castro, director, actor, musician and sound technician. Director of post-production and dubbing studio Arteria Films. He has worked in featured films and documentaries like La marcha indignada, Cubillo, Historia de un crimen de estado, Los chicos del puerto, No culpes al karma de lo que te pasa gilipollas, Maresía, A garden in the city,… www.arteriafilms.com
TRADITIONAL SONGS (Senegal)
Denis Singila & Atty
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