Dispatches from Cannes: Ousmane Sembene's Films Are Being Digitally Restored
- Text by Sophie Monks Kaufman
“If Africans do not tell their own stories then Africa will cease to exist,” is one of the many brilliant aphorisms spoken by Ousmane Sembene and included in the documentary, Sembene! The filmmaker, writer and freedom-fighter was born in a small village Senegal in 1923 when his county was still under French rule. The inspiring story of how the humbly-born, illiterate village boy taught himself to write and make films and fight for accurate representation of African characters benefits from being co-directed by a close friend and accomplice, Samba Gadjigo.
An early scene in Sembene! documents Gadjigo retirning ‘Gallo Ceddo’ (Rebel House), where Sembene used to reside and welcome fellow creatives until his death in 2007. Chaos has taken over and the biggest casualties are film reel cans. Sembene’s life’s labours are in danger from forces as mundane as natural decay. Gadjigo enlists help to organise the canisters, the first step in the process of restoration. This endeavour is a mere fraction of the documentary – which focuses on charting the growth of the man and the context of his politically daring filmmaking – but that fraction carries the most exciting news: an important director’s legacy has been saved.
A fitting way of celebrating this result was to screen a 4K restoration of Black Girl, Sembene’s first feature, made in 1966. The black and white drama about a girl tricked into leaving Dakar only to be enslaved in France, is rich with the voice of its female lead, Diouana (Mbissine Thérèse Diop). Nearly 50 years on, she is still a fresh and proud screen presence, even as her circumstances damn the society that enables her fate.
Hopefully this screening is just one of many to make use of the work done on restoring Ousmane Sembene’s vital back-catalogue.
You might like
A new documentary traces the rise, fall and cratering of VICE
VICE is broke — Streaming on MUBI, it’s presented by chef and filmmaker Eddie Huang, who previously hosted travel and food show Huang’s World for the millennial media giant.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Misan Harriman: “The humanity I bear witness to is extraordinary”
Shoot the People — Following the premiere of a new film exploring the photographer’s work and driving forces, we caught up with him to chat about his rapid rise, shooting protests and the need for powerful documentarians in times of struggle.
Written by: Isaac Muk
In The Road to Patagonia, Matty Hannon holds “a mirror to the human condition”
From tip to tip — More than a surf and travel documentary, the Australian filmmaker meditates on capitalism’s pitfalls and the importance of existing within nature while embarking on a marathon journey from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
Written by: Sam Haddad
On Alexander Skarsgård’s trousers, The Rehearsal, and the importance of weirdos
Freaks and Finances — In the May edition of our monthly culture newsletter, columnist Emma Garland reflects on the Swedish actor’s Cannes look, Nathan Fielder’s wild ambition, and Jafaican.
Written by: Emma Garland
Remembering Holly Woodlawn, Andy Warhol muse and trans trailblazer
Love You Madly — A new book explores the actress’s rollercoaster life and story, who helped inspire Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A new documentary spotlights Ecuador’s women surfers fighting climate change
Ceibo — Co-directed by Maddie Meddings and Lucy Small, the film focuses on the work and story of Pacha Light, a wave rider who lived off-grid before reconnecting with her country’s activist heritage.
Written by: Hannah Bentley
