Géraldine Sroussi has always had a special relationship with moving images. At an age when most people are happy playing with friends, she was behind the family video camera making short films. Although she studied an arts-based course at school, after her baccalauréat she opted to study medicine in order to become a dentist. It was not what enthralled her the most but she gave in to pressure from those around her. At an evening course, Géraldine learnt how to write screenplays. After a year, she decided to give up her studies to take a filmmaking course at the Sorbonne. She added to her training at a private school but left the course during the year to gain practical experience. She then worked as a camera assistant on sets for cinema, telefilms and short films. Soon after, she threw herself into her first personal project: a documentary, La traversée du Silence, (Crossing silence) co-produced with her sister, Charlotte Sroussi, which was selected at several festivals. Filmmaking would have suited her perfectly well, and nor does she rule it out, but making documentaries lets her combine her three concerns: the appeal of images, a love for travelling and meeting others. Géraldine defends her art form. "Documentaries let you put across a political message and raise awareness among many people." She enjoys being in the field, behind the camera and working with a small team as close as possible to the men and women who are telling us a story. "I have seen how it works in films and on TV; I don't feel comfortable with it. It doesn't seem so specific." Project: to tell the story of an isolated village in the Sahel where the inhabitants fight for the survival of their village by trying to stop the sand from advancing and by putting self-sufficient activities in place. As always, the idea came after an encounter. During a trip to Senegal, Géraldine met at a Saint-Louis market some Peul farmer-cum-cattle breeders, Doudou and Ousmane Saw. When returning with them to their village, Géraldine discovered the villagers' struggle against the encroaching desert, which is not at all representative of the catastrophe-ridden speeches and stereotypical images that are usually associated with Africa. She felt it was urgent to let people know about their struggle. It is a message of hope. The team is due to leave in a few months.