YOUSSOU NDOUR: I BRING WHAT I LOVE

In 2007 Time magazine named Youssou Ndour as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Rolling Stone has described him as "a singer with a voice so extraordinary the history of Africa seems locked inside it." For three years Chai Vasarhelyi followed the legendary Senegalese musician and human rights campaigner around the world, gaining unprecedented access into his life - at home and on tour. In 2004 Youssou Ndour made his most personal and challenging album to date, "Egypt", a bold expression of his faith, which aimed to promote a tolerant version of Islam. Vasarhelyi gives us an inside view of the controversy surrounding the album’s release as it is embraced by international audiences but denounced back home in Senegal as blasphemy. This is a revealing portrait of an inspirational African icon, which gives us a chance to experience the moving power of Youssou Ndour’s music. True to Ndour’s enduring spirit, it is a film full of hope.

"Think differently about Africa, believe in its possibilities. I want to demonstrate that it is more than the continent of disease and war ... Africa is also about dignity and beauty. And I want to encourage Africans to find their own ways to evolve as people, to contribute, to find meaning in their lives. I come from the Medina, the poorest area of Dakar. I started with very little and I think I give some hope to young people who want to do something with their lives." Youssou Ndour

"Youssou inspired me immediately; he lived so successfully by his convictions. I believe in Youssou and the hope he creates, and although he is one of the most popular voices coming out of Africa, many people around the world still don’t know his work. I wanted to make a film that would illuminate Youssou’s life and his message for others to discover." E. Chai Vasarhelyi

Special Jury Prize, Middle East International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi 2008; Audience Award, Sao Paulo International Film Festival 2008