Jaliya: A Storytelling of Jali Kunda: An Interview with Timothy Lima

Please start by telling us a bit about yourself. How did you become interested in cinema? Did you receive formal filmmaking training, or are you self-taught?

I come from a background in healthcare and education, but storytelling has always been central to my life — first through photography, then later through film. My interest in cinema grew organically from my work as a photographer and colorist. I’m mostly self-taught, although I’ve taken part in various workshops and learned a lot through collaboration with other creatives in documentary and narrative projects.

Could you tell us how many films you’ve made before “Jaliya – A Storytelling of Jali Kunda”?

Before Jaliya, I worked on several short films and documentary projects, mostly in Europe, focusing on human rights, culture, and identity. Jaliya is my first international feature-length documentary.

Where did the idea for this documentary originate, and how long did it take you to make the definitive decision to create it?

The idea for Jaliya was born after I met Ebrima Mbye in Lisbon through a mutual friend. Ebrima, who has been living in Lisbon for over ten years, is a talented kora player and storyteller from The Gambia. Our conversations about his roots, the griot tradition, and the role of music in preserving collective memory sparked something in me. I became fascinated by the richness of this oral heritage and how it continues to live on across generations. It took me about a year from that initial encounter to fully commit to the documentary. I wanted to approach it not just as an artistic endeavor, but as a respectful and immersive collaboration with the community behind the stories.

What did you anticipate would be your biggest challenge during the pre-production of “Jaliya – A Storytelling of Jali Kunda”? Once you entered the production phase, did that challenge persist, or did it give way to a new problem or challenge?

Initially, I thought the biggest challenge would be gaining the trust of the community and navigating language and cultural nuances. However, once we began filming, I realized that time and rhythm were the real challenges — things don’t move at the pace we’re used to in Western production. I had to surrender to the natural flow of things, which in turn brought unexpected beauty to the process.

Your documentary is truly captivating and visually stunning in its expressive power. How much freedom did you have to implement various strategies to achieve your desired visuals? Were you able to do retakes of your shots, or was everything improvised in terms of the visuals?

Thank you! I worked with a very small team, so I had complete creative freedom. Many of the visuals were planned, but just as many were spontaneous — inspired by the light, sounds, and movement of life around us. Retakes were rare; most of what you see is the first and only take, which added to the authenticity and emotional depth of the visuals.

6. Which filmmakers do you think have had the most significant impact on your work?

Werner Herzog’s fearless immersion into different cultures, Joshua Oppenheimer’s boldness in form, and Wim Wenders’ sensitivity to human stories have all influenced me. I also deeply admire African filmmakers like Ousmane Sembène and Abderrahmane Sissako for their poetic realism and cultural rootedness.

Please tell us about the audience feedback for “Jaliya – A Storytelling of Jali Kunda.” Did anyone from the Gambian community itself see the film? If so, what were their thoughts?

At this stage, the documentary hasn’t yet been screened in The Gambia, but we’re planning to bring it to the community in the near future. It’s a priority for us that the people whose stories are told in the film have the opportunity to see it on their own terms, in their own space. For now, we’re submitting the documentary to various international film festivals, and once that process is underway, we intend to organize screenings locally — not just as a presentation, but as a dialogue with the community.

Do you think you can continue filmmaking in Gambia and explore other compelling documentary subjects within that environment?

Absolutely. The Gambia is full of untold stories — spiritual, historical, and contemporary. The people are generous, the culture is rich, and I feel there’s still so much to learn and explore. If the community welcomes it, I would love to return.

What was the experience of filmmaking in Gambia like? What difficulties did you face, and what creative freedoms did you have?

Filmmaking in The Gambia was both humbling and freeing. Infrastructure can be a challenge — limited electricity, internet, and transportation — but those limitations actually forced me to be more present and resourceful. The creative freedom was immense. People opened their homes and hearts, and that made all the difference.

If possible, please tell us about your next project.

My next project will continue to explore the intersection of oral tradition, memory, and identity — this time in a different cultural context. I'm currently researching storytelling traditions in East Africa and considering a hybrid format that blends documentary and poetic narrative. But for now, I’m still listening.