GriGris (2013)

Despite the paralysis in his leg, which is a handicap, Souleymane, known as Grigris, is a young Chadian from a poor background who works for his stepfather, a photographer, and dreams of becoming a dancer. He regularly dances at a nightclub, improvising routines to pop music, and uses his paralyzed leg like a disjointed toy. His dancing earns the admiration of the customers, bringing him considerable success and a certain local renown. Mimi, a slim young Franco-Chadian prostitute who dreams of becoming a model and also admires Grigris’s dancing, has a promotional photo shoot at his studio. Feelings develop between these two shipwrecked souls. Souleymane’s stepfather, whom he considers his father, suddenly falls ill. Since there is no social security in Chad, the family will have to pay a large sum to the hospital for him to receive treatment. Completely destitute, Souleymane decides to approach Moussa, a mafia boss, to get a job smuggling fuel—a very common trade in the country—in order to find the money needed to pay for the hospital. His first attempt to transport fuel cans by swimming across the river comes to nothing, because Grigris is physically limited by his leg. On the verge of being thrown out, Grigris nevertheless gets a job driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle to transport the cans, thanks to his skill at driving cars. But instead of delivering the goods, he plans to divert them and pocket a substantial profit, which he immediately puts toward his stepfather’s treatment. He severely mutilates himself to make it look as though police have arrested him and seized the goods, but Moussa does not believe him and threatens to kill him and Mimi, who is now his girlfriend. Ordered to come up with the money within two days, Grigris resolves to flee the capital, N’Djamena, with Mimi and take refuge in a traditional village. But the criminals quickly pick up their trail.