In northern Morocco lies the Spanish enclave of Melilla: Europe on African Land. On the mountain above live over a thousand hopeful African migrants, watching the fence. Abou from Mali is one of them – the protagonist in front of the camera, as well as the person behind it. For over a year, he has ceaselessly persisted in attempting to jump the fence. As Abou portrays the struggle for human dignity and freedom on one of the World’s most militarized frontiers, LES SAUTEURS (THOSE WHO JUMP) ultimately becomes a movie about the empowerment of a filmmaker armed only with his camera and his aspirations.
"...a testament to their courage and to the rest of the world’s neglect – a sort of found footage movie that, true to the genre, is not without its own kind of horror: one that is real and happening just outside our door." The Hollywood Reporter
- Moritz Siebert and Estephan Wagner Co-directed by Abou Bakar Sidibé
Moritz Siebert
Moritz Siebert has worked on migration for the last 15 years and was originally trained as a medical doctor and an anthropologist. He studied documentary filmmaking together with Estephan Wagner at the National Film and Television School in the UK.
Estephan Wagner
For Estephan, Les Sauteurs is a feature debut even if he worked as a documentary director for over a decade, always approaching his themes from the point of view of his protagonists. Both as editor and director, he won several awards on the international festivals circuit.
Abou Bakar Sidibé
Abou, born in Kidal, Mali, owns a University degree in English and has worked as a teacher, a cell phones seller, a construction worker or a cash carrier between Western Union offices in the Moroccan village and people on Mount Gurugú. Les Sauteurs is Abou's first film.
- Berlinale (2016) FORUM SECTION - Ecumenical Jury award
- Documenta Madrid (2016) 2nd Prize of the Jury
- Dok Fest Munchen (2016) Special jury mention
