The Empire of Illusion

In Senegal, three modest families share a courtyard. This common space is a small paradise where they meet to cook, dine, talk, evoke memories, and grow together. At one Sunday family gathering, the usual post—meal conversation turns tense when Sada's adolescent son, Dieìry, asks why his father was so friendly with a government official at a televised ribbon—cutting the day before. The conversation quickly devolves into one about respect and duty.

In Empire of Illusion, legendary Senegalese ...