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This batch was unquestionably the most challenging so far! In the interest of time, I had to make some compromises. Memo: the issue isn’t the absence of comparable African films. Rather, it’s the lack of documentation and accessibility (especially online) for these films. A significant portion of African cinema remains inaccessible. Despite a richness and diversity of stories, many of them are hard to find due to a lack of broad distribution or preservation. In many cases, there is no documentation at all. It’s a lack of accessibility that not only limits our understanding of the full scope of global cinema, but also prevents these important voices and perspectives from being heard and appreciated. Akoroko intends to positively affect this somehow.
48 – “Wanda” (Barbara Loden, 1970) and “Satin Rouge” (2002) by Raja Amari:
“Satin Rouge” is a Tunisian film that tells the story of Lilia, a widow who lives a mundane life with her teenage daughter, Salma. Lilia’s life takes a turn when she discovers that Salma has been sneaking out to dance at a cabaret. Initially shocked and disapproving, Lilia herself ends up drawn to the cabaret, and starts belly dancing, finding a sense of liberation and self-expression that she had never experienced before.
In terms of how “Satin Rouge” complements “Wanda”, both are films directed by women, with women protagonists who are initially defined by their roles within the family and society: Lilia as a widow and mother, and Wanda as a wife and mother.
Both women are somewhat adrift and unfulfilled in their lives. However, they each embark on unexpected journeys that lead them to challenge societal expectations as they discover unexplored parts of their identities. Wanda becomes involved with a petty criminal, which leads her into a life of crime. Lilia becomes a belly dancer in a cabaret, a role that is looked down upon in her society.
One key difference is that Wanda’s journey is more tragic and she often seems to be aimlessly drifting, while Lilia’s is more empowering. Still, both films explore themes of female agency, self-discovery, and the struggle against societal constraints.
48 – “Ordet” (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955) and “La Nuit De La Vérité” (“The Night of Truth,” Fanta Régina Nacro, 2004): Both are films that explore the themes of faith and family conflict in a rural setting, employing long takes, minimal music, and lighting setups that create realistic and immersive experiences.
“The Night of Truth” is set in a fictional West African country in the 2000s, where two ethnic groups are trying to reconcile after a civil war. “Ordet” is set in Denmark in the 1920s, and follows the lives of a family who grapple with internal and religious conflicts within themselves and with their town.
Both films show the tensions that can arise in a scenario that places different religious beliefs and practices in conversation, and the impact of violence and death on families.
Each comes with its own climactic scene where a “miracle” (literally or metaphorically) happens, challenging the characters’ faith and understanding of what is real in a troubled world.
It’s worth noting that Fanta Regina Nacro is documented as the first woman from Burkina Faso to direct a narrative feature film.
50 – “The 400 Blows” (François Truffaut, 1959) and “Halfaouine: Boy of the Terraces” (Ferid Boughedir, 1990): “Halfaouine” is a Tunisian coming-of-age dramedy that follows a 12-year-old boy named Noura (played by Boughedir’s nephew Selim Boughedir) who experiences puberty and sexual awakening in the traditional quarter of Tunis.
The film depicts Noura’s curiosity and confusion about the opposite sex, as he navigates between the worlds of women and men, childhood and adulthood, fantasy and reality.
Like Truffaut’s classic, Boughedir’s film is part of a key cinematic movement: “Halfaouine” belongs to the new wave of Maghrebi cinema that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, while “The 400 Blows” belongs to the French New Wave that emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Both films are influenced by Italian neorealism, especially in their use of location shooting, natural lighting, and non-professional actors. Although “Halfaouine” is more light-hearted, focusing more on sexuality and gender roles, while “The 400 Blows,” leans bleak, emphasizing social class and rebellion.
50 – “The Piano” (Jane Campion, 1993) and “GrisGris” (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2013): Sharply different in tone and atmosphere, Chadian auteur Haroun’s “Grisgris” tells the story of a 25-year-old man with a paralyzed leg who dreams of becoming a dancer, and starts to work for a gang of petrol smugglers. Comparing it to Campion’s “The Piano,” both films deal with characters who face some srot of physical challenge, and use their passion (music in “The Piano” and dance in “GrisGris”) as a form of expression and liberation.
In “The Piano”, the protagonist uses the piano to communicate feelings and emotions, while in “GrisGris,” the he uses dance as a form of escape from his physical limitations to the chagrin of observers. Both films also explore themes of struggle, resilience, and the human spirit in the face of adversity.
However, they are set in very different cultural and historical contexts. “The Piano” is set in the colonial era in New Zealand, and centers a female protagonist, which is central to themes explored. On the other hand, “GrisGris” is set in contemporary Chad and deals with themes of crime and survival in a harsh socio-economic environment.
Stylistically, they also differ — atmospheric and symbolic versus the gritty realities of life in Chad.
Both films, however, are highly acclaimed for their powerful lead performances and unique stories.
52 – “News from Home” (Chantal Akerman, 1976) and “Kaddu Beykat“ (“Letter from My Village,” Safi Faye, 1976): “Letter from My Village” harmoniously blends documentary and fiction elements to depict the life and customs of a Senegalese village. The story centers around a young man who, due to a persistent drought that severely impacts the village’s crop, finds himself unable to afford the bride price for his love. In an attempt to overcome this financial problem, he journeys to Dakar, the bustling capital city, where he hopes to earn more money.
This film shares a thematic connection with Akerman’s “News from Home” through its use of letters as a narrative device. These letters serve to draw a stark contrast between two distinct worlds – the rural Senegalese village and urban Dakar in “Letter from My Village,” and New York and Belgium in “News from Home.”
Also, both films dive into themes of identity, displacement, and memory, unpacking the emotional and cultural dissonance that people caught between two worlds often experience.
Worth noting: “Letter from My Village” holds a significant place in cinematic history as the first feature film directed by a woman from Sub-Saharan Africa, marking a milestone in the representation and visibility of African women in cinema.
52 – “Fear Eats the Soul” (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1974) and “Cairo Station” (Youssef Chahine, 1958): “Cairo Station” revolves around a disabled newspaper vendor played by Chahine himself, whose infatuation with a beautiful lemonade seller at the bustling Cairo, Egypt train station, escalates into a dangerous fixation.
In a parallel to Fassbinder’s “Fear Eats the Soul,” both films were influenced by the cinematic techniques of Douglas Sirk, including the use of color and composition, exploring the psychological effects of being repressed socially.
Each film depicts unconventional and tragic relationships between marginalized characters who confront prejudice and discrimination. Furthermore, the films utilize public settings as microcosms of society, where different classes, cultures, and conflicts collide.
While “Fear Eats the Soul” focuses on the romance between its two leads, “Cairo Station” dives into its male protagonist’s obsessive infatuation with the beautiful lemonade seller. As such, the films differ in their character portrayals, with “Fear Eats the Soul” presenting sympathetic and lovable characters, while “Cairo Station” is a portrait of a disturbed and potentially violent person.
Ultimately, both films offer poignant examinations of human emotions and social dynamics.
Worth noting: El Hedi ben Salem, who starred in Fassbinder’s film was a Moroccan actor.
54 – “The Apartment” (Billy Wilder, 1960) and “Baara” (“Work,” Souleymane Cissé, 1978): “Baara” and “The Apartment” share some similarities in their exploration of professional ambition. Both films show the main characters as low-level employees who are trying to climb the corporate ladder by pleasing their superiors but also face ethical challenges and personal conflicts along the way.
In Cissé’s film, a factory manager meets a man whose family has historically served the manager’s. He offers the man a job and comes to see how badly the workers are treated in the factory. When problems arise, he must choose between doing what’s right or protecting his interests.
Both films also depict the contrast between tradition and change, the urban and the rural, and the rich and the poor in their respective societies. However, “Baara” is more explicitly political and social in its critique of neocolonialism, corruption, and exploitation in Mali, while “The Apartment” is more focused on the personal and romantic aspects of its story, and also satirizes corporate culture of America.
“Baara” has a more optimistic and hopeful ending, where the main character joins a workers’ revolt against the oppressive factory owner, while “The Apartment” has a more ambiguous and bittersweet ending, where the main character quits his job and confesses his love to the woman he loves, but her response is uncertain.
54 – “Battleship Potemkin” (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) and “Ceddo” (Ousmane Sembène, 1977): In the context of Sembène’s film, the Ceddo — a social class in certain traditional West African societies, includingin countries like Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania — represent the everyman and woman who resisted the forced imposition of Islam, Christianity, and the slave trade in order to preserve their traditional culture and way of life.
Despite “Potemkin” being a Soviet silent drama film, an immediate observation is that both are compelling films that delve into themes of rebellion, portraying the uprising of an oppressed group of people against their despotic rulers.
Inspired by historical events, they each serve as allegories for contemporary struggles, employing a variety of cinematic techniques to effectively tell their stories (although traditionally moreso with “Potemkin”), including editing, strategic camera angles, thoughtful lighting, and impactful sound design.
However, “Ceddo” is a more complex and nuanced depiction of the various factions and forces within a West African village. In contrast, “Battleship Potemkin” is a more straightforward, propagandistic portrayal, clearly delineating the “heroic” sailors from the “villainous” officers.
Also, “Ceddo” unfolds in a more lyrical and poetic style characterized by long takes, natural lighting, and traditional music. On the other hand, “Battleship Potemkin” opts for a more dynamic and dramatic style, punctuated by rapid cuts, and expressive lighting.
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