Mon beau sourire

Young Senegalese women bare their teeth with an appealing smile. The teeth stand out sharply against a background of jet-black gums. In a short observation, reveals where these women got their striking smiles from. On the floor of a simple house, preparations are quietly made for applying a tattoo. An old woman mixes pigments in a small pot and picks up a bundle of needles. Beside her, a young woman lies on the floor, resigned. Stirred up by the sounds of a djembe, the old woman does her job. A third woman gives the future beauty consoling taps on her chest. The pain must be excruciating, but we don't hear any complaining. The curious ritual remains unexplained. It looks like an intimate, even merry feminine occasion with pleasant music.