REVENIR (To Return)
For years, the stories of West African migrants and refugees have been told through the lenses of foreign journalists. Now there is a story from the inside.
Part road-trip, part memoir, part journalistic investigation, REVENIR follows Kumut Imesh, a refugee from the Ivory Coast now living in France, as he returns to the African continent and attempts to retrace the same journey that he himself took when forced to flee civil war in his country … But this time with a camera in his hand.
Traveling alone, Kumut will be documenting his own journey; both as the main protagonist in front of the camera, as well as the person behind it, revealing the human struggle for freedom and dignity on one of the most dangerous migratory routes in the world.
A controversial film experiment, a courageous journey and a unique collaboration between filmmaker and refugee; which is not without consequences.
10/7 10:00
Directors
David Fedele
Born in Australia in 1977, David Fedele is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, particularly interested in exploring cultural, humanitarian and social justice issues. His films have been broadcast and screened widely around the world, and he now spends most of his time between the European and African continents.
David’s latest film REVENIR (2018, 81mins) is a collaboration with Kumut Imesh from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, who now lives in France as a refugee. This film follows Kumut as he returns to the African continent to attempt to retrace and film the same journey that he himself took more than ten years ago, when forced to flee his country to seek asylum …. But this time with a camera in his hand. The film was awarded the Jury Prize at the Document Human Rights Film Festival 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland.
David’s previous film THE LAND BETWEEN (2014, 78mins) was awarded “Best Feature-length Documentary” at the FIFE International Environmental Film Festival in Paris, and has since been broadcast and screened hundreds of times around the world, winning many awards…
Kumut Imesh
Originally from the Ivory Coast, Kumut Imesh was forced to flee civil war in his country in 2004. Seeking a peaceful and safe place to live, he began the long journey across the African continent before finally arriving in Morocco, where he spent 7 years. While in Morocco he worked closely with NGOs and associations working closely with other migrants, providing support and assistance.
In 2013 he met the film director David Fedele in Morocco, and he worked as the translator for the film “The Land Between”. During this time, Kumut developed a very keen interest in documentary filmmaking, especially the potential to tell stories from an African perspective, and the original idea to make a film retracing his journey across Africa was born.
In 2014 Kumut arrived in Europe, and was granted asylum. He currently lives as a refugee France, working as a webmaster. He is also the founder and president of ACSORE (Actions of Solidarity for Refugees), an association in France that works for the social and educational integration of asylum seekers and refugees.
REVENIR…