“I made Dafa Metti because initially I wanted to learn about the community of souvenir sellers in Paris, who are all undocumented migrants from Senegal. I was interested in hearing their stories, getting a sense of what life is like for them living and working as undocumented migrants, selling merchandise at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. I empathised with the vendors who work day and night in tough physical and mental conditions, in order to support their families back in Senegal. It was important for me to shine a light on their struggles, and to perhaps open people’s eyes to the hardships the vendors endure on a daily basis, as well as their perseverance dealing with violence and racism at the hands of the French police and tourists. The migrants experience of living in isolation is tough, as they live almost like shadows, marginalised and overlooked by society.”

Tal Amiran is a multiple award-winning director and editor based in London, UK. His films have screened at over a hundred film festivals internationally including BFI London Film Festival, AFI DOCS, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and Big Sky Documentary Film festival, winning Best Short Documentary at numerous festivals including Sarasota Film festival, Woodstock Film Festival and Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival.

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