drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
written and directed by
Med Hondo
Med Hondo (born Mohamed Abid Hondo; 4 May 1935 – 2 March 2019) was a Mauritanian-born French director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Considered a founding father of African cinema, he is known for his controversial films dealing with issu ...
. It is based on a novel of the same name by
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesAbdoulaye Mamani, who co-wrote the screenplay. The novel and film concern the real-life
Battle of Lougou
The French Voulet-Chanoine Mission, led by the captains Paul Voulet and Julien Chanoine, had been dispatched in 1898 to Africa by the French government with the mission to conquer the territories between the Niger River and Lake Chad and join in ...
Hausa
Hausa may refer to:
* Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa
* Hausa language, spoken in West Africa
* Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states
* Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse
See also
...
French Colonial Forces
The ''Troupes coloniales'' ("Colonial Troops") or ''Armée coloniale'' ("Colonial Army"), commonly called ''La Coloniale'', were the military forces of the French colonial empire from 1900 until 1961. From 1822 to 1900 these troops were de ...
of the Voulet-Chanoine Mission in 1899. Sarraounia was one of the few African tribal leaders that resisted the advances of French expansionists Paul Voulet and
Julien Chanoine
Julien may refer to:
People
* Julien (given name)
* Julien (surname)
Music
* ''Julien'' (opera), a 1913 poème lyrique by Gustave Charpentier
* ''Julien'' (album), by Dalida, 1973
* "Julien" (song), by Carly Rae Jepsen, 2019
Places Un ...
. The film won the first prize at the
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou
The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou or FESPACO) is a film festival in Burkina Faso, held biennially in Ouagadougou, where the organization is based. It ...
(FESPACO) and was critically well received.
Synopsis
The film takes place in
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesSahel. The film begins with the initiation and establishment of a young girl as queen of the Aznas. The young queen, Sarraounia, becomes an accomplished
warrior
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have be ...
when she defends her tribe from an enemy tribe. Accomplished in archery and
herbalism
Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern reme ...
Julien Chanoine
Julien may refer to:
People
* Julien (given name)
* Julien (surname)
Music
* ''Julien'' (opera), a 1913 poème lyrique by Gustave Charpentier
* ''Julien'' (album), by Dalida, 1973
* "Julien" (song), by Carly Rae Jepsen, 2019
Places Un ...
set out to conquer new lands for the French colonial empire. As they advance across the land they
rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...
Jean-Roger Milo
Jean-Roger Milo, born in Paris, is a French actor.
Biography
After learning his craft at the theatre with Sacha Pitoëff, Jean-Roger Milo was noticed by the cinema. He appeared in the 1982 movie Ace of Aces alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo. In 1993, ...
as Capitaine Voulet
*
Féodor Atkine
Féodor Atkine is a French actor of Russian-Polish origin, born on 27 February 1948 in Paris.
A screen performer, he has participated in numerous plays, films and television series in France and abroad.
Life and career
Féodor Atkine was born ...
Roger Miremont
Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...
Jean-Pierre Castaldi
Jean-Pierre Castaldi (born 1 October 1944) is a French actor. He is the father of French TV presenter
A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television program ...
as Sergeant Boutel
Production
When Nigerien author Abdoulaye Mamani first published his novel '' Sarraounia'', he gave a copy to his friend Med Hondo who decided to put aside all other projects to adapt it into a film. As well as using the book for reference, Hondo conducted research with Mamani, interviewing older Nigerien people and accessing material in the national archives.
Hondo cast Aï Keïta after witnessing a confrontation between Keïta and a family member. Although he initially had her in mind for a small role in the film, he cast her as Sarraounia following the first casting session. This was her first acting job and she has since performed in films including '' Les Etrangers'' (''The Foreigners'') and '' SIDA dans la Cite'' ('' AIDS in the City''), as well as in
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
s.
The film was shot in 1986 in
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...
. It cost $3,000,000 to make, which was raised over seven years by Burkinabé financiers and Hondo's own production company.
Reception
The film won the First Prize (Étalon de Yennenga) at the 1987
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou
The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou or FESPACO) is a film festival in Burkina Faso, held biennially in Ouagadougou, where the organization is based. It ...
(FESPACO). Historian Frank Ukadike called it "a landmark of
African cinema
Cinema of Africa is both the history and present of the 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 early 20th century, when film reels w ...
, the most ambitious for its inventiveness, professionalism and dedication." Writing for ''
The Boston Phoenix
''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' a ...
'', Chris Fujiwara said that the film avoids clichés, calling it a "large-scale epic drama" that is "both ironic and celebratory". '' Time Out'' called it "superbly crafted and expansive".