Africa celebrates a hero: Ousmane Sembène, Father of African Cinema


The 19th to the 25th of October has been set aside to celebrate Ousmane Sembène who was considered the greatest African author by The Los Angeles Times and  was often called Father of African Cinema. 

In the NW region of Cameroon,  Bamenda,  La Liberte Art Group will host an event for the projection of one of his films, Xala, followed by Panel discussion.  



Xala of 1973 is a film which tells the story of a Muslim Businessman living in Dakar,  Senegal and the misfortune he suffers after his 3rd marriage. Xala follows several weeks in El Hadji's life and his rapid decline from affluence to total humiliation and  ruin. 

The movie production will be discussed after the projection and compared to today's cinema by Directors,  Writers,  Acting coaches, and Actors in the region namely  ; Dr.  Alasambom Nyingcho, Amstrong  mbi, Alumni L Jones and Ngang Romanus.



Born on the 1st of January 1923  in Zinguinchor,  south of Senegal and died on the 9th of June 2007, Dakar, Senegal,  Ousmane Sembène remains the major figure in the rise of an independent post colonial  African cinema. 



He taught himself how to read and write and and in 1956, he published his first novel,  "Le Docker Noir" based on his experiences in Marseilles.  Other books follow. 

In about 160, Sembène developed an interest in motion pictures, in an attempt to reach an African popular audience,  80%of whom did nothing know French or have access to books in any language.  

He made three short films reflecting a strong social comittment after studying at the Moscow Film 
 
His 1966 feature film, With Mandabi (“The Money Order”), a comedy of daily life and corruption in Dakar, Sembène in 1968 made the revolutionary decision to film in the Wolof language

His masterpiece, Ceddo (1977; “Outsiders”), an ambitious, panoramic account of aspects of African religions, was also in Wolof and was banned in his native Senegal

Camp de Thiaroye (1987; “The Camp at Thiaroye”) depicts an event in 1944 in which French troops slaughtered a camp of rebellious African war veterans. 

Guelwaar (1993), a commentary on the fractious religious life of Senegal, tells of the confusion that arises when the bodies of a Muslim and a Catholic (Guelwaar) are switched at the morgue. 

Moolaadé (2004; “Protection”), which received the prize for Un Certain Regard at Cannes, mixed comedy and melodrama to explore the practice of female circumcision.

Please follow the links below to get more information about the life of Ousmane Sembène:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ousmane-Sembene

https://www.lisez.com/auteur/ousmane-sembene/68379

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousmane_Semb%C3%A8ne


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