Elevate

Elevate, directed by Anne Buford, is a gripping and inspiring documentary released in 2011 that weaves together the journey of four young Senegalese teenagers - Assane, Aziz, Byago, and Dethie, as they relentlessly dream to become NBA professional basketball players. The movie features Ashley Biden, Amadou Gallo Fall, and Dethie Mbodj, among others, providing a visceral manifestation of the teens' aspirations, determination, struggles, and unwavering zeal.

The movie opens up to Senegal's capital, Dakar, introducing viewers to a Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEEDS) Academy. Founded by Amadou Gallo Fall, the Academy offers promising African athletes a combination of intensive basketball training with a comprehensive educational program. With the primary aim to provide these teenagers the opportunity to earn college athletic scholarships in the United States, the Academy paves the way for students to elevate from their existing socio-economic conditions, hence aptly inspiring the movie's title - "Elevate."

The story essentially focuses on the tension between the students' commitment to their familiar culture and the prospects of success in an utterly different athletic and academic context. It illustrates how they navigate the tough terrains of cultural shock, academic demands, and personal growth without the immediate presence of their families. Also, their collective aspiration to earn a trip overseas to continue basketball, while simultaneously getting a solid education, communicates resilience, perseverance, and the beauty of dreaming beyond one's circumstances.

Assane, Aziz, Byago, and Dethie form the central quartet of athletes being profiled, each of whom adds a different and critical element to the storyline. Assane, a towering figure on the basketball court, grapples with the weight of expectation from his family and the challenge of the English language in America. Aziz's aspirations include not only succeeding on the basketball court but also positively influencing his community back home. The shortest among the group, and perhaps the most undervalued, Byago's journey is an exemplar of sheer determination against all odds. Lastly, Dethie, the most cut-close to the American dream, deals with unexpected realities and hurdles along the journey.

Throughout the movie, a fascinating contrast is created between the youths' homes in Senegal and the cold, vast American landscapes they find themselves in, bringing to light their stories of cultural assimilation. The transition from the warm, dusty, and bustling streets of Senegal to the pristine basketball courts of Lake Forest Academy and South Kent School in the US is moving and resonates deeply with audiences.

While basketball forms the tool that carries our characters across countries and cultures, Elevate is about much more than just the sport. It about the perseverance of spirit, the strength of aspirations, and the challenge ingrained in breaking from one's familiar circumstances, only to adapt to an entirely new world. It's a story of identity, growing up, confronting stigmas, grappling with a second language, and stepping outside your comfort zone, all in a bid to achieve a dream.

Buford deserves credit for her splendid direction in maintaining a balanced focus on all four basketball aspirants throughout the movie's pacing. The movie never veers from its central theme — the boys' journey, keeping their hardships, breakthroughs, and progressions at the forefront. Through their journey, Buford leads audiences to delve more in-depth into the systemic structure of American sports and the global impact it creates, catapulting the movie beyond the domain of being merely a sports documentary.

Elevate integrates engaging filming techniques, thoughtful storytelling, and striking footage, interspersed with interviews from the key players, their American coaches, host families, academy founders, and the players back home. This thoughtful assembly imparts a solid narrative, offering a vivid glimpse into the intricacies of these young African boys' lives, both in their homeland and foreign soil, and their dream-fueled commitment to challenging their destiny.

In a nutshell, Elevate portrays an incredibly impactful and humbling story of young dreamers navigating the world with their eyes set on a better future. It is a candid representation of the big NBA dreams cultivated on Senegal's courts, and how those dreams trickle down into classrooms halfway across the globe. Through its beautiful tapestry of struggle and triumph, Elevate provides viewers a precious glance into the heart of human aspiration, resilience, and the transformative power of sport. This placid and powerful documentary is sure to leave you thoroughly moved and inspired.