The Oberlin Review
<< Front page Arts February 24, 2006

Francophone Film Sheds Light on Female Resistance

The 2006 Francophone Film Festival started off brilliantly this Friday with a free screening of the African film Moolaadé at the Apollo Theater. Moolaadé, the most successful film by Senegalese filmmaker Osumane Sembene, deals with the controversial issue of female circumcision.

In this poignant film, four young girls seek protection against purification — a coming of age ceremony that includes female genital mutilation. Collé Ardo Gallo Sy, the main character who protects the children, is met with much opposition and violence, but with the help of many other resistant women, ultimately triumphs over both the Salindana (a group of women who perform the cutting) and the male elders.

Following the screening, there was a public lecture by Samba Gadjigo, a professor of French at Mount Holyoke College and a biographer of Sembene. Gadjigo talked at length about many issues including his philosophy on African cinema: due to Africa’s lack of economic power (Africa makes up only one percent of world trade), Gadjigo believes African cinema is not a reality.

“There are individual filmmakers, but cinema as an industry doesn’t exist,” he said.

Gadjigo also discussed the power of African film as a political tool, explaining that cinema is in many ways connected with ideology. He talked briefly about the history of African films made by African filmmakers, a genre outlawed by the French government from 1895 until 1955. The first film of this kind was, shockingly, only released in 1963.

During the lecture, Gadjigo also showed his documentary, The Making of Moolaadé — the first documentary ever permitted to be made about Sembene and the process of his work.

The documentary shed light on the many hardships one confronts when seeking to make a film in Africa. For example, while filming Moolaadé in a rural African village, one of Sembene’s cameras broke, leaving him to persevere with only one while the other was shipped to Paris for repairs.

Even once Sembene’s film was finished, there were still obstacles. It took five years to get Moolaadé recorded and issued on a VHS tape. In reference to Sembene’s great accomplishments and overwhelming dedication, Gadjigo said, “To make one film [in Africa] is a miracle — he made 12.”

During the question and answer period, a few questions were asked about the distribution of Moolaadé. Since its release, it has accumulated nearly 70 thousand viewers in the West, not including screenings on college campuses (although Oberlin had one of the biggest turnouts).

Moolaadé was received well in France and in Senegal, where it was shown only two weeks ago. Unfortunately, it will only be distributed to three countries total in Africa, the very place where Moolaadé would perhaps have the strongest emotional impact.
 
 

   

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