Dir. Ousmane Sembène. 1969, 65 mins. 35mm print. With Mbissine Thérèse Diop. Sembène’s first feature film signaled the emergence of African cinema. The film tells the story of a nanny who, on being taken to Paris by her expatriate employer, commits suicide in response to the abuse and alienation she experiences. The modern style eschews spectacle and exoticism, and laid the foundations for a direct approach to portraying contemporary life.

Preceded by:
Borom Sarret
Dir. Ousmane Sembène. 1969. 20 mins. 16mm. With Ly Abdoulay. This short film about a day in the life of a Dakar cart driver was influenced by 1940s Italian neorealism. One journey takes him from the “African” side of the city to the “European” side. His horse and cart are confiscated, and he must make his way home without the means to make his livelihood.

Free with Museum admission.

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