Sembene

Synopsis

When Ousmane Sembene first picked up a movie camera in the early 1960’s, during the heady days of early African independence, African culture was disappearing under the deluge of European stories. SEMBENE! celebrates a sixth-grade dropout who fought a 50-year battle to return African stories to Africa. Using an innovative weave of gorgeous handcrafted animation and new and archival footage, this true-life epic follows as an ordinary man transforms himself into a pioneering freedom fighter who used storytelling as a weapon for resistance and cultural renewal.

Director Biography

Samba Gadjigo, the director of the documentary Making of Moolaade, is the world’s foremost expert on the life and work of Ousmane Sembéne and author of Sembéne’s official biography. He was born and raised in Senegal and is professor of African Studies and French at Mt. Holyoke College.
Jason Silverman is an award-winning film producer and longtime festival director. He is currently Cinematheque Director at the Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, and former Artistic Director of the Taos Talking Picture Festival