“Who cares about ancestors? I’m broke.”*
For the first time in forever, I treated myself to a Saturday matinee courtesy of Netflix. Just watched Ousmane Sembene’s “Black Girl” (1966), and “Borom Sarret (The Wagoner)” (1963). Both films are meditations on post-colonial reality in Africa: Surprise! Independence didn’t magically herald financial and social stability. If you don’t know about the Senegalese great, Sembene (1923-2007), wake up and check him out.
Some links of interest (warning: each contains spoilers in varying degrees):
Analysis/overview of “Black Girl” (about a young Senegalese woman who travels from Dakar to France to work as a nanny for her previous employers, a French couple who are struggling with their own post-colonial reality)
Analysis/overview of “Borom Sarret” (considered the first film ever made in Africa by a black African)
My review of Sembene’s “Moolaadé” (2004) at 3BlackChicks.com. The film deals with the tragedy of female circumcision/genital mutilation which is practiced (last I checked) in 34 of the 53 nations in the African Union. (Typo alert: In the review, it says “58 nations”)
*Says the titular character in “Borom Sarret.”
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You are in the midst of a blogathon celebrating 32 Days of Black History! Yvette at Six Impossible Things…and I are joined by InkogNegro,Christina, Chris, and Tami. Visit, comment, bookmark!
February 10th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Where are the YouTube clips? I need to see some trailers.