''Karmen Geï'' is a musical drama film, directed by

Joseph Gaï Ramaka Joseph Gaï Ramaka (Jo(e) Gaï Ramaka/Joseph Gaye Ramaka, born 9 November 1952 in Saint Louis, Senegal) is a Senegalese film director, screen writer and film producer. Biography Gaï Ramaka studied visual anthropology at the Paris School for Adva ...

and released in 2001. A coproduction of companies from Senegal, France and Canada, the film is an adaptation of

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', whi ...

's opera ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' in a Senegalese setting, with Karmen portrayed as a seductive bisexual criminal who escapes prison to revive her smuggling ring. The film stars Djeïnaba Diop Gaï as Karmen Geï, with a supporting cast including Magaye Niang,

Stephanie Biddle Stephanie Andrea Biddle (born 23 August 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer and actress. Career Biddle was born in Quebec to jazz bassist Charlie Biddle and a French-Canadian mother. During part of her childhood she lived in Sainte-Agathe-des-Mont ...

, Thierno Ndiaye Doss, Dieynaba Niang, El Hadj Ndiaye, Aïssatou Diop, Widemir Normil,

Yandé Codou Sène Yandé Codou Sène (also ''Yande Codou Sene'') was a Senegalese singer from the Serer ethnic group. She was born in 1932 at Somb in the Sine-Saloum delta and died on July 15, 2010 at Gandiaye in Sénégal. She was the official griot of pre ...

, Massamba Madieye, Ibrahima M'Baye, Coly Mbaye, Abasse Wade, Ibrahima Khalil Paye, Patricia Gomis, Fatou Sow, Awa Sène Sarr, Mayanne Mboup, Oumi Samb, Doudou N'Diaye Rose, Ndèye Thiaba Diop, Samba Cisse, Jo Couly Bouschanzi, Elian Wilfrid Mayila, Abdoulaye Gnagna N'Diaye, Mor Ba, Ndèye Maguette Niang, Malik Niasse and Mouhamadou Gueye.

Distribution

The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight stream at the

2001 Cannes Film Festival The 54th Cannes Film Festival started on 14 May and ran until 20 May 2001. Norwegian actress and director Liv Ullmann was the Jury President. The Palme d'Or went to the Italian film ''The Son's Room'' by Nanni Moretti. The festival opened with ...

. It screened in Dakar on July 22, 2001, but was subsequently banned for distribution in the country after the

Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...

protested the use of Mouride chants in a key scene as "blasphemous". It had its Canadian premiere in September, in the Planet Africa program at the

2001 Toronto International Film Festival The 26th Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 6 to September 15, 2001. There were 326 films (249 feature films, 77 short films) from 54 countries scheduled to be screened during the ten-day festival. During a hastily arranged pres ...

.Dennis Harvey
"Karmen"
'' Variety'', September 27, 2001.

Critical response

Dennis Harvey of '' Variety'' wrote that "in general, ''Karmen'' works better on the level of atmosphere and buoyant, party-hearty set pieces than it does as a cogent action melodrama. Pic’s initial energy burst wanes, though not fatally, once story hits the downhill stretch. Nonetheless, it’s still great fun. Neither p’opera nor conventional tuner, package finds many ways to integrate music that ranges from dynamic percussion busking to hymnals, proto-rap 'toastings,' piano balladry, soundtracked Afropop and jazz. There are no real 'production numbers', sole non-naturalistic device being the neat use of ensemble-mimed choral recitative, which offers populist p.o.v. commentary on the action during numerous sequences." Writing for '' The Province'', Chris Hewitt opined that "frankly, there's not a believable minute in Karmen Gei, which is in French and Wolof, but who cares? It's sexy, muscular and fast in a way that transcends logic to become something wondrous."Chris Hewitt, "Karmen Gei wondrous". '' The Province'', September 27, 2002.

Awards

Hélène Girard Hélène Girard is a Canada, Canadian film editor. She is most noted as co-winner with Jean Beaudin of the Canadian Film Award for Canadian Screen Award for Best Editing, Best Editing at the 28th Canadian Film Awards in 1977, for their work on the ...

received a Jutra Award nomination for

Best Editing This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...

at the

5th Jutra Awards The 5th Jutra Awards were held on February 23, 2003 to honour films made with the participation of the Quebec film industry in 2002.Brendan Kelly"‘Seraphin’ tops list at Jutra noms" ''Variety'', January 28, 2003. '' Séraphin: Heart of Stone ( ...

in 2003.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0284229 2001 films 2001 LGBT-related films 2000s musical films Canadian musical drama films Canadian LGBT-related films French musical drama films French LGBT-related films Senegalese drama films Quebec films 2000s Canadian films 2000s French films French-language Canadian films LGBT-related musical films Black Canadian films Films based on Carmen Films about female bisexuality