David Bingong (b. 1988, Douala) is a Cameroonian filmmaker and theatre practitioner based in Madrid. After arriving in Spain in 2015, he founded the musical group Los Griots de África and worked as an actor with Teatro Sin Papeles. His debut feature The Travelers, filmed between 2013 and 2015 during his journey from Africa to Europe, received the Jury Prize for the best medium length film at Visions du Réel.
The Travelers
The Travelers
The Travelers
A decade ago, on the Morocco–Spain border, the filmmaker and his group attempted the ‘boza’ crossing to Europe. After repeated failures, they survive through solidarity, songs and a camera, as the self-named ‘Artist’ keeps hope alive.
David Bingong: ‘We made The Travelers to capture our lives as sub-Saharan immigrants in Morocco from an everyday perspective. We wanted to show our reality as it is, without filters, using a handful of songs and videos we created that speak of our community, conflicts and dreams.
We were driven by a common goal: crossing the border fence between Morocco and Spain, one of the most militarised borders in the world. Made during several attempts between 2014 and 2015, the film not only documents this reality but also gives us strength as a group and a sense of empowerment.’

