Ousmane Sembene, Moolaadé

Moolaadé
(Sanctuary) is the 10th and possibly most powerful film of the great Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene's career. Photographed with extraordinary sensitivity, with a cast of nonprofessionals, it considers the struggle of a woman in a tiny village in Burkina Faso determined to protect a young girl from the ritual circumcision prescribed by the Muslim male elders - a decision with consequences both expected and surprising. Speaking in French through a translator, Sembene's witty insights into his work keep the conversation lively and his personality quickly accessible. A rare treat.

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