During a shooting in Senegal, some wood carvers asked me to film them. Making films in Africa remains a thorny issue for a European.

The aim here is to show a creative process, marked by questions that any artist can face, without falling into the classic pitfalls.

The real pleasure is to share this work: to shape together the material, the raw wood as well as the image and the sound: to see the splinters fly away, to listen to the blows of the pickaxes resounding, to assist to a piece of wood taking shape.

This is why it seems obvious to me not to include my name in the credits; a small attempt to rethink the link between creation, ownership and exploitation.

A film with

Mamadou Sow

Serigne Sam Sow

Ndiaga Sow

Mame Cheikh Sow

Oussman Pam

Cinematographer: Frederik Arens Grandin

Sound: Clément Jusforgues

Editing: Louis Welti, Frederik Arens Grandin

Translation: Mohamed Ghassani

Subtitling: Laura Khizar Hayat, Allyson Félicité, Penny Allen