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Ousmane Sembène : Un Paradoxe Postcolonial Du Cinema Africain?, Mbaye Diouf, Edoardo Cagnan

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

How can we quantify the success of an African film in a postcolonial context? This article aims to answer this question by analyzing the case of Mooladé (2004), Ousmane Sembène's last full-length feature. The issues and the conditions of its circulation show the militant intention of the film-director, and we can notice a subtle competitive relation between the artistic value of the film and its pedagogical content, which is seen as politically acceptable in Africa. Budget and circulation issues put the spotlight on the tight situation of Francophone film industry: the imbalance of power relationships often forces the African film-director …