Cloisters’ COO writes, directs, produces and stars in award winning short film, The Backway
Image of The Backway poster
Cloisters’ COO, Cherno Jagne, has been garnering widespread attention and recognition for a short film he recently wrote, directed, produced and starred in called The Backway.
The 17 minute short film tells the story of a young economic migrant, Momodou, who against his wishes is smuggled out of The Gambia to the U.K. in the hope that this will improve his and, more importantly, his family’s life back home. The film focuses on how Momodou must come to terms with the impact that his deportation from the U.K. and subsequent arrival in The Gambia will have on him and his family, who risked everything they had to fund his journey.
As quoted by Cherno: ‘The Backway applies a completely different take on the usual narrative concerning migrants and refugees where, rather than focusing on the journey that these individuals face in attempting to reach their destination and the challenges they experience upon arrival, The Backway instead focuses on what many are faced with upon their return home, following deportation. My hope is that The Backway will shine a light on one of the biggest humanitarian crises of the last few decades and one which continues to affect the lives of so many around the world’.
As well as recently being awarded BEST ACTOR IN A NARRATIVE SHORT at the I Will Tell International Film Festival, The Backway has also been selected at several prestigious film festivals around the world including:
· Santa Fe International Film Festival – New Mexico, USA – Oscar Qualifying
· Urbanworld Film Festival – New York, USA – Oscar Qualifying
· Show Me Shorts Film Festival – New Zealand – BAFTA and Oscar Qualifying
· TRT World Humanitarian Film Festival – Istanbul, Turkey – Nominated for Best Short Film
· Toronto Nollywood International Film Festival – Toronto, Canada - Nominated for Best Short Film
· I Will Tell International Film – London, UK – Winner of Best Actor
· Africa International Film Festival – Lagos, Nigeria – Nominated for Best Short Film
· North East International Film Festival , Newcastle, UK – BIFA Qualifying
Given the timely nature of The Backway, with recent increased media coverage on the growing number of migrant deaths at sea, the film has also been attracting a great deal of media attention. You can watch and listen to the numerous media appearances that Cherno has recently made discussing the film and the topic of irregular migration, specifically concerning The Gambia, via the links below:
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme - interview starts at 2hrs48mins
BBC News World Service - Africa Daily Podcast
