Fantastique

Dutch director Marjolijn Prins follows fourteen-year-old Fanta in Guinjee-Conakry, where she divides her days between school, caring for her sick mother, and her dream to become an acrobat at the Amoukanama circus. As only girl in the group, she’s searching for her place in a context of traditions and gender expectations.

In this poetic coming of age documentary, reality and imagination are seamlessly blurred. With a subdued magic-realist style, Prins brings Fanta’s inner world to life. Through friendship, music and daily rhythms, a layered portrait of a young woman in transition is created. Since her first encounter with the Amoukanama circus in 2019 — a collective that connects African and European circuses — Prins stayed fascinated by Fanta’s parcours. As youngest and only girl, she balances between care and ambition, while the question forces itself: which future will she choose?