Médecins Sans Frontières - Behind the scenes of OYA video clip (ENGLISH)

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSB249603

Date taken / Date Recorded 08/10/2025 1:12 PM

Country Senegal

Copyright /AUDYSSEY PROD

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 6m56s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 515.21 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Alexandra Malm – Clima Yaakaar project manager, MSF

We created this clip because we wanted to raise awareness about climate change and, above all, its impact on the most vulnerable populations to whom MSF already provides assistance. We wanted to do something that would mobilise people, something positive, so we thought that by working with artists and music, we might be better able to get the message across. So, the song Oya is based on testimonies from MSF, from MSF patients, from people who are affected by climate change. And Mao Sidibé, the musician who wrote the song, made an artistic interpretation of these testimonies.

Mao Sidibé - Singer-songwriter and producer

This project means a lot to me because I am originally from Casamance, in the south of Senegal. And anyone who knows Casamance knows that it’s the greenest region of the country. It matters to me because we can all see the environmental degradation — the heavy rains, the shifting seasons, and all the disasters that come with it.”

Alex

So we decided to work with the École des Sables, which is internationally known, and with dancers from different countries across Africa. We did this as we wanted to show a collective voice - through dance – on the impact of climate change.

Germaine Acogny - Co-founder, École des Sables

In my dance technique, the body reflects the environment. When we dance, we send messages that are received and understood by people, depending on their culture, their environment, and what they are experiencing at that moment. I believe it is a powerful way to connect and to show people what is good for the environment, and the way we ought to live. Dance is powerful because when people dance, it resonates, and they feel it in their bodies. Through the vibrations of their bodies, they transmit their emotions.

Audy Valéra – Director, producer and founder of Audyssey Prod

As a director, it was important for me to show the diversity of landscapes. In Senegal, we are fortunate to have an extraordinary variety of landscapes. We have the sea, the mangroves, the vast stretches of baobabs, we have the desert. And it was important for me to show that these landscapes have to be preserved. Secondly, we also have a strong culture that is part of our identity. And often, these populations are directly affected by climate change. So for me, it was important to show these landscapes and these cultures that must be preserved despite climate change.

Mao
The artistic approach I wanted to take with this project was to bring together different emotions in one song. When you listen to it, you can feel a kind of sadness at the beginning - but also a real sense of urgency, a call to action. There’s a strong, almost protest-like energy too, like saying, ‘We have to move, we have to do something.’ And then, there’s also a feeling of togetherness… and, I’d say, hope. It’s really a blend of rhythms and sounds - with influences from Brazil, Senegal, South Africa, and others.

Bertrand Tchebe Saky – Artistic affairs assistant and choreographer, École des Sables

There are still many people who don’t really understand how important it is to protect the environment. So we try to raise awareness - to share information and spread the message. And we also bring that into our artistic work, through the body. Especially in movements close to the ground - representing the earth, representing the baobab trees, the trees opening up, and the birds, which are also deeply affected by this issue today.

Alexandre Garcia – Dancer, École des Sables

For me personally, every movement I make in dance, I feel it deep inside. They often say that what comes from the heart reaches the heart. Climate change, what’s happening in the world today, means a lot to me. And in that sense, the message will be shared - it can be communicated in a very clear and emotional way.

Alex

The production team on the ground wanted to show what’s happening locally with climate change, including activists who are working on it. In the clip, for example, there’s the Plastic Man, who has been campaigning in Dakar for 10 years against plastic waste. All of this shows, in a way, the impact humans have on the Earth - which ultimately affects the health of us all.

Audy

This clip was a real challenge. First, in terms of time, because we only had two days to shoot - and when you see the number of scenes, it meant a lot of moving around. And then, in terms of logistics, too — you don’t really see it on screen, but over 80 people worked on this clip. So those were the two big challenges. But thanks to an incredible team and people who were fully committed, I think it turned out to be a real success!

Alex

It was an incredible experience to see how the artists came together with so much energy and commitment to the cause. Everyone wanted to take part, everyone wanted to give their best to help spread the message further. We created this clip because we want the message to reach people all over the world - on social media, online - to tell decision-makers: You have to move on climate, we need action now!’ And dance, share the clip, and do it with joy, because together, we can make it happen.