The Shortest Man in the Village

Singapore / Kenya / 2009 - 2010 / James Leong / 80-90 & 56 mins

No black person has ever competed in cycling’s most prestigious race, the Tour de France. Zakayo Nderi – a shoeshine boy from the slums of Kenya – wants to change history. In August 2008, Zakayo cycled up L’Alpe D’Huez, the Tour de France’s most famous climb, in a time that would have placed him in the top half of Tour riders - this with no coaching or race experience. We follow Zakayo over one crucial year of his personal quest - a year when Kenya’s first training camp for cyclists is set up; when Zakayo and his team-mates get professional coaching for the first time and compete in cycling’s biggest race outside Europe. Success here would give Zakayo a shot at his ultimate goal. Set in the slums of Kenya, and in the stunning mountainous scenery of three different continents, this is a tale of high adventure that poses an age-old question. Can raw talent overcome poverty, political uncertainty and prejudice?