Sembene!

Sembene! is a 2015 documentary film focusing on the life of Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, who is considered to be the father of African cinema. It is co-directed by Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman. The film's world premiere took place at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2015.^[1] It also played at the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.^[2]

Synopsis

Sembene! tells the story of the self-taught novelist and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, provided by Gadjigo, who wrote Sembene's biography. Sembène transitioned from a laborer into a powerful spokesman for Africa.^[3]

Ousmane Sembène

Sembène was a Senegalese film producer, director and writer. He was expelled from school at an early age, and was drafted into the French army afterwards. He self studied literature and authors such as Ernest Hemingway and Jack London, and soon began to publish his own poetry and writing. Sembène discovered that cinema was a more effective tool in teaching the African people about African stories, rather than writing. He went on to produce revolutionary works, emphasizing the importance of preserving African artistic history and aesthetics.^[4]

Critical Response

Sembene! has a 95% positive Tomatorating^[5] based on 19 reviews. It was included on the top ten list of 2015 by Bilge Ebiri of New York Magazine, who described the film as "a testament not just to the love of movies, but also to the power of movies."^[6] Chaz Ebert listed the film as the eighth favorite in her summary of films from 2015, "Listening From My Heart: 16 Films to Remember."^[7]

References