Speaking Through Dreams is a haunting, bold and genre-bending film. Tyson Conteh, the film's Director, embarks on a spiritual journey to investigate, the unnerving circumstances surrounding the death of his girlfriend Fatmata, who bled to death after a forced female circumcision ritual. Shortly after her death, she began to appear in his dreams - angry, crying and restless and pleading with him to bring the true cause of her death to light.
Sierra Leone is one of 28 countries in Africa where female genital mutilation (FGM) is known to be practiced. It is estimated that there are more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone (FGM). It's prevalence in Sierra Leone is attributed to the popularity of Bondo, an all-female secret society in West Africa. The majority of the girls are cut before they turn 15 years old.
The approach to the project is artful and intimate while remaining committed to the investigative and educational mission of the project. The filmmaker is a community member and sees the role of Bondo as a complicated one. The movement to protect the culture and practice is strongly and solely led by women inside the culture. But Tyson believes this culture does have the ability to adapt.
Many campaigns to end FGM in Sierra Leone have created antagonistic relationships with the Soweis (Bondo priestesses), but there is a growing, locally-led movement within Sierra Leone to 'initiate without cutting'. Despite the direct personal tragedy Tyson has experienced he still has created close bonds with women within Bondo throughout this project. It is with these Bondo women directly that we will launch our community education campaign to show that real change is possible.
