Mbissine Thérèse Diop (born 1949) is a Senegalese actress best known for her starring role as Diouana in the 1966

Ousmane Sembène Ousmane Sembène (; 1 January 1923 or 8 January 1923 – 9 June 2007), was a Senegalese film director, producer and writer. The ''Los Angeles Times'' considered him one of the greatest authors of Africa and he has often been called the "father o ...

film '' Black Girl'' (''La noire de...''), which is often cited as one of the first feature films of

African cinema Cinema of Africa covers both the History of film, history and present of the Filmmaking, making or screening of films on the African continent, and also refers to the persons involved in this form of audiovisual culture. It dates back to the ear ...

to go on to international acclaim.

Early life

Diop was born in

Dakar, Senegal Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 million in 2023. Dakar is situated on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the w ...

to a Muslim father and a Catholic mother. The oldest in her family, Diop lived with her maternal grandfather until he died when she was two, at which time she returned to Dakar. Diop lived in

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

when she was thirteen, where her hostess familiarised her with

Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...

Career

Diop did not have an early interest in acting, but rather planned to pursue a career in textiles, specifically as a parachutist. The recommendation of a friend made Diop think more seriously about acting and the arts, and prompted Diop to reach out to Josephine Baker. After a correspondence, Baker invited Diop to visit her in France, but Diop had to decline due to cost. Diop frequented the Cine-Club in Dakar, where she was exposed to French and American films, and later enrolled at the Ecole des Arts de Dakar when she was sixteen, where she took night courses and studied under French actor Robert Fontaine (who later also starred in ''Black Girl''). Diop worked as a seamstress during the day.

''Black Girl''

A photographer working at the '' Actualitiés Sénégalaises'' took a photograph of Diop which was seen by filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, who contacted Diop regarding ''Black Girl''. Diop's family was very opposed to Diop's interest in film, but after Sembène visited with Diop she decided to accept the role. Her family and those in her neighborhood did not approve of her choice, and actively scorned her. In ''

The Cineaste A. Van Jordan (born 1965) is an American poet. He is a professor at Stanford University and was previously a college professor in the Department of English Language & Literature at the University of Michigan and distinguished visiting professor ...

'', poet

A. Van Jordan A. Van Jordan (born 1965) is an American poet. He is a professor at Stanford University and was previously a college professor in the Department of English Language & Literature at the University of Michigan and distinguished visiting professor ...

wrote of Diop's performance in ''Black Girl'': "Diouana (Mbissine Thérèse Diop) is one of those characters you fall in love with as soon as they enter the story. Diop is one of those actors you want to stare at a couple of hours, easy. So this is an equation for emotional investment--if not unbridled infatuation, at least--woven into the writing and the casting."

''Emitai''

In 1971, Diop appeared in Sembène's film '' Emitai''.

Later career

Diop still works in textiles. In 2020, Diop appeared in the film ''

Cuties ''Cuties'' () is a 2020 French Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré in her feature directorial debut. The film's ensemble cast is led by Fathia Youssouf who portrays Amy, a Senegalese-French girl ...

'' as a community matriarch. The film has received critical acclaim and controversy. Diop appeared in the 2019 short documentary by Johanna Makabi ''Our Memory'' (''Notre mémoire''), played in the 2024 French Film Festival.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Diop, Mbissine Therese Living people 1949 births People from Dakar Senegalese actresses