Camo, catwalks, and the birth of a nation
A daughter's duty to a country and to herself: Akuol de Mabior has navigated South Sudan's independence, the world of international fashion, and now the documentary film industry.
A daughter's duty to a country and to herself: Akuol de Mabior has navigated South Sudan's independence, the world of international fashion, and now the documentary film industry.
Her parents are key figures in the history of the world's newest nation. Her father, John Garang, led an armed struggle against the government of Sudan and her mother Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior is now one of South Sudan's vice presidents. But teenage Akuol, growing up in exile in Nairobi, grappled with questions about where she really belongs and was later drawn to a career as a model on the catwalks of London, Paris and New York. The pressures of body image imposed by the fashion industry didn't sit well with her, and after five years she retired and enrolled to study documentary film-making.
Akuol's first film is about her family's unique relationship with South Sudan. It's called No Simple Way Home.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Rob Wilson
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Akuol de Mabior. Credit: LBx Africa)
(Documentary audio clips: Courtesy of APO Limited/LBx Africa/STEPS)
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