Synopsis
In "Shadows of the Prophet" Philipp Mayrhofer and Christian Kobald investigate the past and present of the unique iconic image of the founder of the Mourides the strongest African Islamic brotherhood in black Africa. It's derived from the only surviving photograph of Ahmadou Bamba, which was taken by French colonial police
in February, 1913 and present all over Senegal now. The filmmakers speak with photographers who reproduce it in mass quantities, they visit the courtroom where Ahmadou Bamba was sentenced to exile in Gabon, and they also witness the annual procession in Senegal’s second-largest city, Touba, founded by Ahmadou Bamba and the location of his grave. Shadows of the Prophet is about the power of images in a culture where worshipping them is a wholly foreign idea.
in February, 1913 and present all over Senegal now. The filmmakers speak with photographers who reproduce it in mass quantities, they visit the courtroom where Ahmadou Bamba was sentenced to exile in Gabon, and they also witness the annual procession in Senegal’s second-largest city, Touba, founded by Ahmadou Bamba and the location of his grave. Shadows of the Prophet is about the power of images in a culture where worshipping them is a wholly foreign idea.
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