Sydney Film Festival Ousmane Sembène: A revolutionary with a camera
See a retrospective of films by groundbreaking Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène at the Art Gallery of New South Wales as part of the 71st Sydney Film Festival.
Sembène is one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. Often regarded as ‘the father of African cinema’ and the creator of the first-ever African-language feature film, Sembène ushered in a new wave of African cinema. Sincere, empowering and visually spectacular, his films captured the everyday lives of Senegalese people whilst sharply critiquing the legacy of colonialism in his country.
A huge influence on the filmmakers of today, including Martin Scorsese, Sembène changed world cinema forever. With these films rarely screened, and seldom streamed, this is your only chance to experience his seminal filmography.
Presented by Sydney Film Festival in association with ACMI.
Sydney Film Festival Ousmane Sembène: A revolutionary with a camera
8, 9, 10, 15 and 16 June 2024
Various times
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Naala Nura, our south building
Lower level 3, Domain Theatre
$24.50 adult
$19.50 concession
$18 youth (17 and under)
Flexipass and package also available
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Black girl / Borom Sarret
Black girl (59 min) is the true story of a young Senegalese girl who moves to France to work as a nanny, but is soon treated as a slave. Sembène’s first feature film took him, and African cinema, to international acclaim. It is followed by Borom Sarret (18 min), Sembène’s debut film, which is often hailed as one of the most significant short films ever made – and one that paved the way for African cinema.
Saturday 8 June 2024 12.45–2.05pm
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Mandabi
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival 1968 and considered the first feature-length film in an African language, this is regarded as one of Sembène’s most significant works.
Saturday 8 June 2024 2.30–4pm
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EmitaÏ
Set in Sembène’s home territory of Casamance, this is a deceptively simple story of resistance and rebellion chronicling historical oppression by the French in West Africa.
Sunday 9 June 2024 10.15am–12pm
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Xala
This brilliantly funny satire set in post-colonial Senegal displays Sembène’s scepticism about his country’s new dawn after independence from France.
Sunday 9 June 2024 12.30–2.35pm
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Ceddo / Tauw
An historical epic, Ceddo (117 min) remains Sembène’s most controversial film, strongly indicting both Islam and Christianity and showcasing the traditional African religion that came before them. It is followed by Tauw (24 min), one of Sembène’s early short films, which tells the story of two brothers in the generation after independence.
Monday 10 June 2024 10.15am–12.40pm
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Guelwaar
A mysterious death triggers familial and societal tension. This razor-sharp satirical drama demonstrates Sembène’s dexterity in crafting richly human stories within deeply complex social discussions.
Monday 10 June 2024 1–2.55pm
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Camp De Thiaroye
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Venice 1988, this uncompromising historical epic tells the story of Senegalese WWII veterans who were betrayed under French colonial rule. Based on true events.
Saturday 15 June 2024 10.30am–1.05pm
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Moolaadé / Niaye
Moolaadé (124 min) is an impassioned, uplifting and rousing story about one courageous mother who fights against the practice of genital mutilation. It is followed by Niaye (29 min), a short film about a 13-year-old girl from a small village whose pregnancy scandalises her community, which was adapted from Sembène’s own novel White genesis.
Sunday 16 June 2024 10.30am–1.05pm