Mamody, the Last Baobab Digger

SYNOPSIS

In the southwest of Madagascar, the Mahafaly plateau is an extremely arid land. Here, the rains fall only a few times a year. In these very difficult living conditions, the inhabitants of the small village of Ampotaka found a unique solution to store water.

CAST & CREW

Producer(s): Cyrille Cornu

Director of Photography: Cyrille Cornu

Music by Nindry Mina Vorimaro

Edited by Cyrille Cornu

Cyrille Cornu

Director

Filmmaker, Cyrille Cornu is also scientist, explorer, naturalist and photographer. He has conducted research on the baobabs of Madagascar for ten years. Author of numerous publications on the subject, he organizes expeditions every year to the heart of the most remote forests of Madagascar to study the giants there. The island is a unique source of inspiration. Nature, lights, encounters and landscapes are exceptional. Since his arrival in Antananarivo in 2010, he has constantly crisscrossed the Malagasy territory to capture images with his camera. Released in 2015, his first film entitled "Baobabs between Land and Sea", was selected by a hundred festivals in more than seventy countries and won thirty-five awards including four grand prizes. On the strength of this success, Cyrille left research to devote himself to the production of documentary films. At the same time, he works on photographic reports and books. He is currently directing a documentary series consisting of three 52-minutes films on the theme of the baobabs of Madagascar. Filming sessions took place between January 2017 and August 2020. "Mamody, the last baobab digger" is the first film of the series. The two other ones are in production.