Baye is a fisherman who provides for his happy family but he must make a difficult choice when he is offered work as the captain of a boat smuggling Senegalese refugees to Spain. By seasoned Senegal director Moussa Toure, <The Pirogue> is a masterpiece that highlights the desire of many Africans to live a better life in Europe. Opening with a match of Senegal’s traditional wrestling, the action soon switches to a boat sailing across the open sea. The director deftly portrays a convincing and involving account of this Africa to Spain, weeklong crossing, the recruiting, the preparation and the characters motivations. At no point are the "people smugglers" painted as heavies; neither are the refugees total innocents. Everyone is portrayed as having their own hopes and dreams, but they are soon “in the same boat” as they become surrounded by despair and sorrow. Each person deals with their own emotions and comes together at the end through uplifting song, a final scene that will resonate with for a long time. (RHEE, Soue-won)