Merci Dakar: from brief to final cut
The brief
"Merci Dakar" came from a simple wish: show the city as it's actually lived day to day, far from postcard imagery. The brief came down to one line: capture the generosity and energy of Dakar through its people, its places, its details.
The shoot
Filming took place across several Dakar neighbourhoods, at different times of day, to vary the light and the mood. The camera follows people rather than staging them — an approach close to documentary filmmaking, designed to stay true to life on the ground rather than an idealised version of it.
The edit
In the edit, the work was about finding the throughline within hours of footage: a rhythm that breathes, room to pause between sequences, and a soundtrack that supports the image without ever overpowering it. The grade leaned into the raw texture captured on set rather than smoothing it away.
The result
The final film delivers a sincere, warm portrait of Dakar, true to the original intention. You can watch it in the Work section of the site, alongside Cédric Randriamalala's other projects.
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