African cinema legend Sembene Ousmane still an inspiration to many
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Transcript
00:00 The film 'Black Girl' first hit the big screen in 1966 and recounts the true story of a migrant
00:16 worker's suicide in France. It was one of the first ever feature films directed by someone
00:22 from sub-Saharan Africa. But Senegal's Ousmane Sembène was more than a director. He was
00:28 a renowned author, pan-Africanist and activist. He also fought in the Second World War, worked
00:34 on the railways and on the docks of Marseille. Specialists like Professor Kasse say his works
00:41 still resonate today.
00:45 His areas of interest are still very relevant today. Issues of cultural alienation, of class
00:53 in African society, questions about governance. He also asks questions about women, women's
00:58 rights in particular.
01:01 Ousmane Sembène died in 2007 but continues to inspire a generation of cinematographers,
01:07 including students of this cinema school in Dakar. Mamadou, who is training to become
01:14 a script writer, idolises Sembène as an artistic rebel who shook the industry.
01:19 "Sembène's story is a bit like a dream come true. He was a child from the Casamance region
01:25 who sends through a lot before becoming a writer and director. He's an inspiration for
01:30 lots of people. He showed us that it's possible to succeed in both fields."
01:37 Ousmane Sembène directed 13 films and published a dozen books before passing away aged 84.