Bamba fepp
A Documentary by Maryam Tricia Murajda
Synopsis
Senegalese Sufi saint and mystic, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké came of age in Senegal in the shadow of the West African slave trade, Gorée Island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal being the ‘door of no return’. He witnessed political and social strife of warring factions, French colonization and division of much of Africa during his formative years.
Rejecting violence, he taught another way, a ‘jihad of the pen’ offering a path of liberation through self mastery, knowledge, mystical poetry and worship through service (khidma).
Exiled by the French into the wilderness of the jungles of equatorial Gabon and later Mauritania, during French colonial rule, the Cheikh still lived on despite all efforts to extinguish him and his mission; his legacy and way continued thriving long after the colonial system fell.
BAMBA FEPP explores the legacy of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba and his followers, the Muridiyya-a group spread over the world- sparking a social revolution without lifting a weapon.
From eco villages in the heart of Senegal to the inner city struggles in Philadelphia, Bamba’s followers aspire to their guide’s example of enlightenment as the true revolution.
Technical Details
Genre: Documentary Short
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Language: English
Director: Maryam Tricia Murajda
DP: Pavló Fedorov
Score: Dylann Taylor
Edit: Damián Tetelbaum, Olena Senator, Catalina Bisioli
Trailer
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
My personal journey into Sufi mysticism in this lifetime started over 20 years ago.
This project could not have come to fruition without an unexpected and finely orchestrated series of events which led me to be invited to Touba, Senegal, guided by Cheikh Amadou Bamba's grandson, Cheikh Mame Serigne Mbacke.
BAMBA FEPP is both a documentary and an invitation to venture into spiritual traditions to address the existential questions many struggle with in these times.
As a director, I sought to gently and respectfully address painful histories, diasporas and confirm the bridge across the ocean between these diverse worlds.
I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to tell these stories, which don’t belong to me, but are now woven in with my own journey. They would not have been possible to tell without the open hearts and generosity of time and spirit of so many.