Moolaadé
Moolaadé ("magical protection") is a 2004 film by the Senegalese writer and director Ousmane Sembène. It addresses the subject of female genital mutilation, a common practice in a number of African countries, from Egypt to Nigeria. The film was a co-production between companies from several Francophone nations: Senegal, France, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Morocco, and Tunisia. It was filmed in the remote village of Djerrisso, Burkina Faso. The film argues strongly against the practice, depicting a village woman, Collé, who uses moolaadé (magical protection) to protect her daughter and a group of younger girls. She is opposed by the villagers who believe in the necessity of female genital cutting, which they call "purification". This was Sembène's last film before his death in 2007.
Plot
The film is set in a colourful Bambara village in Burkina Faso dotted with termite mounds, and a mosque made from clay that resembles a gigantic hedgehog. The village is a symbol of green Africa, a time capsule that nonetheless is not immune to the influences of the outside and 'modern' world.
More details
author | Ousmane Sembène |
---|---|
contentLocation | Senegal |
director | Ousmane Sembène |
editor | Abdellatif Raïss |
events | Bodily integrity female genital mutilation tradition women in Africa |
genre | drama |
keywords | bad influence bambara people begin bite burkina faso burn child abuse color cut drown end engage female genital cutting first wife help hunt id little girls mosque mourn murder pedophilia search sexual intercourse social status speak three wives time capsule war veteran whip young man |
musicBy | Boncana Mai͏̈ga |
nomination | European Film Award for Best Non-European Film National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film |
producer | Thierry Lenouvel |
recordedAt | Senegal |