WHERE LIFE BEGINS

Mariam, a Senegalese women living in Los Angeles, faces challenges and revelations that affect her marriage and future. The result is an unexpected turn in her journey to motherhood. This film was featured in LA international short film festival. Written and directed by Khaled Ridgeway.

Photos by Lawrence Martinez

A Senegalese women facing challenges in her journey to become a mother. Mariam’s life will suddenly change when she discovers her husband’s secret

Mariam

Mariam from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Mariam from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Mariam from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Mariam from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Mariam from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Mariam from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo

Mariam’s husband, he is a charismatic man also from Senegal. Although seemingly supportive towards his wife, he is hiding a lot from her.

Ibrahim

Ibrahim from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Ibrahim from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Ibrahim from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Ibrahim from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Ibrahim from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Ibrahim from Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo

Senegalese Garments: Boubous

This film includes a dream sequence featuring two men in traditional Senegalese clothing. The undergarments and headwear came from a local West-African shop. While the outer piece - the boubous - where made by me, based on specifications I found trough research.

Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Nightmare 5.png
Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo
Where Life Begins, costume design by Cibele Cozzo

Research

The vision that was presented to me for this scene was of the two man wearing Senegalese garments that could fit the ambience of a dream . My research lead me to Boubou’s, traditional garments whose fluidity and details allowed them to translate well into the scene. Moreover, the ceremonial aspect of this clothing, helped to highlight the cultural symbolism present in Mariam’s dream. Actually creating the Boubous required further research into their construction. For the basic pattern I reversed engineered the garment’s shape from multiple images, . The details near the neckline were created by quilting together multiple fabrics in order to create the appearance of custom embroidery.

  • Reference images.

  • Boubou research and sketching.

  • Boubou technical development.

  • Sourcing at Ashanti Fabrics.

  • Boubou final garment.

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