*The screenplay reads like a novel and playful poetic text, funny, trenchant, and utterly delightful. This text is a companion to Martine Sym's debut film, The African Desperate, which debuted at New Directors/New Films at Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art in April 2022 and will be released in theaters in the fall of 2022.*Martine Syms is one of the most visible American artists working today, earning wide recognition for a practice that combines conceptual grit, humor, and social commentary. In addition to the film, Syms is the subject of major exhibitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Bard College that will be open through late 2022. *Martine Sims and Rocket Caleshu run a small art press, Dominica Publishing, that publishes book and magazines, and have strong connections to the art and independent publishing.