Sembene! Review

Before the film Sembene! began, Samba Gadjigo told us that until the age of 12 he had never seen a movie, seen television or heard a radio in his village in Senegal. All he had were storytellers. He said he was giving us a gift - the story of Ousmane Sembene. And what a gift it was.

My husband and I knew absolutely nothing about the father of African cinema, Sembene. He started life as the son of a fisherman in Senegal. He left Africa for France and was a dockworker. He broke his back when a huge bag a coffee landed on it, and during the 6 months he spent lying on his stomach in a hospital, he educated himself, reading as much French literature as his union's library contained. He was a communist, and was sent to Russia to learn filmmaking.

He arrived back in Senegal with a 16 mm camera, and made the first African film -- told from an African perspective. His films were a sensation at Cannes, and he was the first African jury member. His films tackled racism, corrupt government in Africa and female circumcision.

In his later years, he became somewhat forgotten in his own country. In the Q and A, the director said there is only one run-down theater left in a major city in Senegal. Mostly, his films have been shown at international film festivals.

The movie is also the story of Samba Gadjigo's long friendship with his "Uncle" Sembene, and how he is trying to share his work with the world. Samba Gadjigo grew up in Senegal, and is now the foremost expert of Sembene. He teaches African Studies at Mt. Holyoke College.

The documentary was wonderful. Very well edited and put together with many clips from Sembene films. Sembene was quite a colorful character! We were lucky to have his son, Alain, at our showing, and he participated in the Q and A after the film. English is not Alain's first language, but he expressed very movingly what it means to him to have his father's work honored with this film.