January Hive Highlight: A Documentary Screening by Ruben Murray (PO 2019)

On Wednesday, January 24th, Ruben Murray—a junior at Pomona College and an International Relations major—organized a screening at the Hive of his short documentary, MBERU NAKPAT: The Wrestling Fisherman. This event was attended by several students from the Claremont Colleges, eager to communally experience what their colleague had created.

Ruben’s insightful documentary focuses on the life of Dodou Thiam, a 19-year-old, Senegalese traditional wrestler who lives on one of Saloum’s small islands. The film revolves around a conversation Ruben had (during his semester abroad) with Doudou, after spending a week with him in his village, Djirnda. Ruben and Dodou discuss the hardships of Dodou’s subsistence living, what it takes to be successful in the Senegalese rural context, and the motivation behind the emigration of its youth.

It was a thought-provoking, engaging event that the Hive was honored to host.

After the screening, Ruben hung around to chat with event attendees and answer their questions.

If you missed it, here are a few photos from the event, as well as some brilliant shots Ruben captured during his time in Senegal. You can also watch the short documentary on YouTube, via the link below.

All photos courtesy of Ruben Murray.