For any of you who is interested in Sembène's works, Mandabi is a good film to try - perhaps a bit more accessible and relatable, in my opinion. Sembène, the Senegalese filmmaker who passed away just an year ago, is often said to be "the father of African cinema." He was a significant figure not only in post-colonial cultural awakening, but also in the Négritude as a radical, uncompromising critic. (*a literary and political movement developed among the Francophone African world to promote black heritage against French intellectual domination.) I watched this film for a french literature course last year titled The Francophone World; the film, compared to Ceddo, is a bit more modest in delivering its narrative and in addressing issues that may be slightly more relevant to the general audience. (largely in regarding social injustice, post-colonial political issues, gender issues, etc.)
Mandabi ("Money Order") 1968
Quite humorous, powerful and effective in its message and aesthetics. Enjoy!
"A Filmmaker Who Found Africa's Voice"
The New York Times article on Ousmane Sembène, June 12 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/movies/12semb.html
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