E. Chai Vasarhelyi | Senegal/US 2015 | 1h30m | French with English subtitles | Documentary | 15

When President Abdoulaye Wade changed the Senegalese constitution in 2011 to allow for a third term, the country’s young people responded loudly and clearly. Y’en a Marre (“Enough is Enough”) became the name of a nascent movement, which rapidly gained traction amongst the disillusioned youth. While Wade once represented the voice of a democratic opposition, he soon fell victim to power. Ageing, out of touch, and surrounded by sycophants, the President’s greatest threat is Macky Sall, who has formed an alliance with Y’en a Marre. Yet the young activists remain skeptical, since they believe all politicians to be susceptible to corruption. With the elections on the horizon, the future remains unclear: if elected, will Sall deliver on his promises or will he follow his predecessor’s path to self-delusion? Award-winning filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s second documentary on Senegal examines Africa’s oldest democracy in crisis and a generation determined to fight for it.

This screening is sponsored by the University of Edinburgh Global Development Academy as part of a strand of films focused on Transitions toward Development and Freedom.

The screening will be followed by a discussion on democracy in Africa.