Stephen Tayo and Zhedy Lena Nuentsa tell us the story behind their short film and the love it shows to Ivorian culture
It’s been two years since Côte d'Ivoire’s dramatic – and ultimately victorious – AFCON 2023 campaign but the excitement of the win has not faded. The African Cup of Nations, a biennial tournament, is the biggest football competition on the continent and naturally, winning it is a thing of national honour. It’s this excitement and pride that Nigerian talent (and Nataal favourite photographer) Stephen Tayo harnesses in his short film, ‘Il Faut Un Village’ (‘It Takes A Village’). Capturing the players on the pitch as well as the euphoria of the Ivorian people, the work reflects on the power of sports to transcend borders and reveals Abidjan as a bustling cultural hub.
Les Elephants’ road to victory against the Super Eagles in the final was a Nollywood-style drama all of its own. Following earlier losses in the tournament that led to the head coach being sacked, late-minute goals changed tears of sorrow to tears of joy. Tayo's film cleverly highlights the symbiotic nature between the national football team and the resilient creativity of the city it calls home.
Featuring fashion designer Lafalaise Dion and narrated by furniture artist Jean-Servais Somian, Tayo’s philosophical lens draws us to the subtleties of human expression and the ways in which people tell their stories through textiles and dress. Ultimately, the documentary hails the contribution of each individual to the collective effort of valorising Ivorian culture – a passion project that has captured his own imagination and will to do the same to its audience. Nataal caught the film’s debut in Marrakech last month, then sat down with Tayo and producer Zhedy to find out more.
What inspired you to create this film?
Stephen: The atmosphere during AFCON is always filled with this constant tension and celebration. So, I said to Zhedy, “Let’s go to Abidjan and make this film!” But the outcome superseded the original plan because you couldn’t have imagined that Côte d'Ivoire would win. Beyond the footballers, people were calling out to the powers that they believe in, and going through that experience makes you believe, it gives the country hope. I feel like I also ended up believing in myself and trusting those around me more.
Could you expand on trusting yourself more, does that reflect on your practice?
Stephen: I felt an artistic responsibility to make sure the people shined, undiluted. It was important to capture the moment and celebrate them. I think the trust also came through the collaboration with Zhedy. Leaning on her background, her writing and research around West Africa, compounded any trust I had in my own intuition.
Zhedy: Working with Stephen was really smooth because we had the same vision on set and in post-production. Another thing was that I’m from Cameroon and I’m Francophone, so Abidjan felt like a familiar context, even though it’s not a place I know. That meant Stephen and I had to step back and were equally curious to find out more about the people. I think it’s always so important, when working in an Afro-diasporic context, to take the time to build an actual understanding and portray that, instead of what you might think about a region.
What was your approach to the narrative arc once you got into planning and production?
Stephen: We had a working context and I knew what I wanted to document – but this is real life, this is live sport. I wanted it to be an archive but moodboards make things too definitive and once the game starts, anything can happen…. For me though, this project was about furthering the conversation that the world is having now in terms of sports culture and community and asking how we look at it through a West African lens. How do we talk about fashion and sport and community? While also finding a way to maintain the essence of my work as a documentary and fashion photographer.
How did you approach casting for this film?
Stephen: Before the film started we were able to embed ourselves in the community, creating our network and creating relationships. We’d eat and drink together, and through that we were able to look for people whose stories align with the vision I had for the story.
What did Jean-Servais Somian bring to the film?
Zhedy: Outside of his amazing practice, Jean is always helping and funding young Ivorian creatives, so it was a no-brainer for him to narrate the film. We had other voices join too because it did in fact take a village for this to happen.
“I felt an artistic responsibility to make sure the Ivorian people shined. It was important to capture the moment and celebrate them"
What did you appreciate about Ivorian culture while you were in Abidjan?
Zhedy: The way that they welcomed us was unbelievable! Even though it was my first time in Côte d’Ivoire, I felt so at ease there.
Stephen: It was my first time too and I found it such a stark contrast to Lagos. Not that it wasn’t busy, but there wasn't the same intensity and there was an openness. People were happy to help us, and I could see that they support each other, too. Some of the collaboration happened organically. From the shoe design and Somian’s furniture to the sound designer, Aziz, everyone had this mentality of, ‘Let me treat this project as my own’ and that was the greatest lesson for me.
There’s a lack of storytelling around African football despite the clear passion for the sport. Why do you think it’s been so underserved?
Stephen: This is by no means the first AFCON film or photography series, but none of the previous ones have become popular. When you look at the quality of players on the field, we have some of the greatest footballers in the world! So, there's no reason why the storytelling shouldn’t be on the same level as that around the European competition. It’s something we need to celebrate together. In the same way we all love AFCON, we need the same level of enthusiasm for all the things around the game too.
Words Eugene Ekuban
Film direction Stephen Tayo
Production Zhedy Lena Nuentsa
Music Abdel-Aziz Dosso
Editing Julie Berranger
Sound design Loris Bernot & Tom Kelma
Featuring Daniel, Fabien K., Grace Sehon, Marie-Rose F., Romuuald B., Siryac
In collaboration with Lafalaise Dion, Jean Servais Somian, Kente Gentlemen, Elie Kwame, Olooh, OmanNoir and Sheriff Projects
Post production Thomas Delebecque, Candice Duplan, Karl Agodor at Sheriff Projects
Poster Buroneko
Published on 27/03/2025