VENI VIDI BINI: Biniam Girmay through the eyes of a Belgian film Maker

History-making has always continued to occur in our continuously evolving world. People worldwide have been in sports, art, politics, medicine, math, and physics. Still, they are coming up with new insights and achievements that add to the existing history-making. The state of Eritrea, amongst the few new countries, has never ceased flourishing with extraordinary achievements now and before. Sports are one of the nation’s most popular activities and means of leisure, and Eritreans have gone the extra mile, breaking records and achieving outstanding results.

The history of Eritrean cycling has gone beyond the expectations of many people around the world. In the already existing achievements, a new record has been saved this year. Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay won a green jersey in the Tour de France this year, a first win for Eritrea and Africa. In the history of Tour de France, which has been held for 111 years, Biniam Girmay’s achievement has made him the first black African person to win three first-stage podiums in the 3rd, 8th, and 12th stages, securing a green jersey to the end in his Belgian club inter Marche. On the 7th of August, an official welcoming celebration was held in Eritrea for Biniam Ghirmay’s arrival in his motherland after participating in the Tour de France and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Starting with an invitation from President Isaias Afewerki at Adi Halo, the nation celebrated his success and arrival to Eritrea with a fabulous festive.

The nation also celebrated Biniam’s arrival, starting from Asmara International Airport and ending at Bahti Meskerem, where 7 kilometers of the main street of Asmara city were crowded and flooded with people. People on the streets guided him, waving the Eritrean national flag, green jersey shirts, and different songs related to sports all the way to the destination.

Lieven Conthouts, a film director from Belgium, has made a 174-minute-long documentary about the 2024 Tour de France, green jersey winner Biniam Girmay’s progress in sports and his personal life that began 7 years ago. Through his seven-year close connection and interaction with Biniam, Lieven witnessed and filmed his personal growth. He has now broadcasted the documentary “This is my moment,” focusing on the history-maker Eritrean rider. Here are bits and pieces of our time with Leiven and his opinion on Biniam Girmay’s achievement and Eritrean future in sports.

Give us an introduction to your documentary, please.

Sure. I made a film with Biniam Girmay, which started around seven years ago. The documen­tary focused on his personal life and his cycling journey. Biniam Girmay was around 16 years old when we began that film and fin­ished after he participated in the Tour de France. During that time, he was a junior rider in Asmara with a promising talent. I met him in a junior African championship competition in Kigali, Rwanda. We traveled to different parts of the world together, and I kept track of his progress and growth in the form of a documentary film. Not only the sports part, but I was also a part of his transition into becoming a man, getting mar­ried and becoming a father. My documentary film, “This Is My Moment,” covers his journey into becoming a man and his journey towards his world history-break­ing career as a rider. The film has now been broadcast in France, Belgium, Germany, and Holland.

It was your first time doing a film in Eritrea with an Eritrean. How was the experience for you?

It’s my first time. But I love the people here, and that’s why I’ve been going back and forth for sev­en years. In the beginning, some people weren’t used to me filming them here, but then they got used to it and it became easier. I have even made Biniam’s family part of the film as they allowed me to. And I plan to do it again and work in Eritrea. I’m considering mak­ing another film about Biniam Girmay in the Tour de France and what it means for Eritrean and Af­rican cycling.

What made you pay special at­tention to Biniam Girmay before he even started achieving great success?

I first heard some positive feed­back on Biniam from the people around him and the sports federa­tion. They kept mentioning that he was an up-and-coming athlete. I also observed that he was perfect initially, even though I was curi­ous if he would win in the Tour de France. Once I saw his promis­ing talent, I asked for permission from his parents to make a movie about him or put him in one, and they agreed. My connection with his parents grew, and it helped me choose him for the documentary.

What did his progress look like in those seven years you filmed his journey?

Throughout our time together, I have witnessed him shifting from a teenager to an adult who cre­ated his own family, and I have witnessed unbelievable success in his career. Biniam, from what I’ve seen, was good at cycling from the beginning. He has an excellent ability to ride, but the crucial progress he made in my observation is his ability to read a race. Amazingly, he knows how to read the game and learn the race. In addition, he went through some accidents where the crush was severe to the point where he stayed in hospital for a week and couldn’t ride for a month. But he was able to rise and continue with his goals and dreams. Biniam did an excellent job for his team and himself.

You witnessed the welcome cel­ebration of Biniam’s arrival in Asmara. What’s your reflection on it?

I knew there would be many people on the streets to welcome him, but I didn’t expect that much crowd with so much passion and joy. I didn’t realize how important it was for the people. I know he’s the first Eritrean and African to win a green jersey, but seeing that many emotions was mind-blow­ing. It’s a fantastic experience to be a part of.

It was very emotional for me because I saw his entire journey since he was very young. I saw his accidents and victories, his patience and hard work. It was a splendid experience to be pres­ent amongst the Eritrean people while welcoming Biniam Girmay.

What piece of wisdom would you like to share with junior riders of all parts of Africa to reach a stage like this?

I want to tell them to continue. Now, junior cyclists from differ­ent parts of Africa will be more inspired and motivated and can do it as well. That’s the most signifi­cant achievement. I was showing that it’s possible with consistent and focused work. I hope female cyclists also believe it’s within reach if they keep working hard. The most challenging thing to do in sports and cycling, especially, is consistency—consistency is Biniam’s greatest strength, which has led him this far. Because I know there were difficult times when he could have stopped, it was a challenging journey. But the secret is being consistent and keep going.

Anything else that you’d like to add…

I hope to see more Eritrean and African cyclists in the coming years. The future is bright for the junior cyclists in Eritrea as they have so much potential. I hope they believe in themselves and give it all they’ve got. Congrats to Biniam Girmay and the people of Eritrea.

Thank you so much for your time, Leiven.