THIS IS MY MOMENT
This Is My Moment explores the pursuit of dreams, where resilience is key to achieving something greater.
→ About the story of Biniam Girmay Hailu, the first African to win a 'Classic' and the 2024 Tour de France green jersey.
→ Lieven was the sole filmmaker granted access to document Biniam's life and career in both Eritrea and Europe.
→ From the co-director of he Emmy nominated Netflix documentary Convergence: Courage in a Crisis
PRODUCTION STATEMENT
For this film, Lieven Corthouts followed Biniam Girmay since he spotted him at the Tour de Rwanda at the age of 17. Lieven got unique access from the Eritrean Cycling Federation to film Biniam in Eritrea. He continued filming him during his career in African cycling until his participation in the Tour de France, spanning 6 years of filming.
With Biniam Girmay's story Lieven intends to diversify the narratives out of Eritrea, a country that in the Western media is often solely linked to migration. With ‘This is my Moment', Lieven and Biniam tell a positive story about a boy with a dream, empowering Eritrean and African youth worldwide.
SYNOPSIS
This is the story of cyclist Biniam Girmay. At the age of 17, while training in his home country Eritrea in Africa, he dreams of riding the Tour de France. Against all odds, Biniam climbs up the international rankings. But will he make it into a top team and get selected for the Tour?
| Directed by | Lieven Corthouts |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Cassette for timescapes, Magellan Films, Little Big Story, Een van de jongens and Stenola Productions |
| Language | Tigrinya, French, English |
| Location | Eritrea, Rwanda, Switzerland, France, UK, Italy, Belgium |
| Budget | TBC |
DIRECTOR
Lieven Corthouts is a self-taught filmmaker who lived in Ethiopia for 10 years. His 2 first feature documentaries My Future (2009) and Little Heaven (2011) tell empowering stories of teenage girls in Ethiopia. During the 4 years Lieven spent in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenia, he made the film The Invisible City [Kakuma] (2016) and the webdoc Find Me in Kakuma (2017).
In 2021, he co-directed the Emmy nominated Netflix documentary Convergence: Courage in a Crisis, together with academy award winning director Orlando von Einsiedel.
RELEASE
22nd January 2025
