Mandabi

synopsis

An out of work man from Senegal is sent a money order by his nephew. Unfortunately, the uncle has no identity card which will enable him to cash the check. He tries to obtain a card, but is stymied because he lacks a birth certificate. In order to get this valuable document, he must have a photograph taken... and on and on and on it goes. The poor man's nightmarish foray into the honeycomb-like world of African bureaucracy is all part of his nephew's plan to avoid paying a long-standing debt.