"As far as I am concerned, I no longer support notions of purity. Purity has become a thing of the past. . . I constantly question myself. I am neither looking for a school nor for a solution but asking questions and making others think." 

"The development of Africa will not happen without the effective participation of women. Our forefathers' image of women must be buried once for all."

"I benefited from a synthesis of values - in the house, the compound, the country and Koranic and French schools. We conserved our own culture; we had nightly gatherings with tales. Now I call it my own theater."

 - Ousmane Sembene 

Basic Biographical Information:

Born January 1, 1923 in Senegal.  Son of a fisherman.   Expelled from school at 15 for striking back at a teacher who had struck him.  Later described himself as educated at the, "University of Life."  Drafted into the French Army in 1939, later joined the Free French Army.  Worked variously as a fisherman, brick layer, plumber, mechanic, dock worker, trade unionist, author and filmmaker.  Studied film at the Gorki Film Studios in Moscow.  Died June 9th, 2007 in Senegal.

Movie Information:

• Critically acclaimed La Noire De... (in English, Black Girl) was the first movie to be produced by an African Filmmaker.  In 1967 it won the Prix Jean Vigo award at the Cannes Film Festival.  It is commonly referred to as the first African Film.
• In order to promote local heritage, some of Sembene's films were produced in his native language of Wolof.  Others were produced in French.
• Both Xala and Ceddo were banned/censored in Senegal for going against the government.
• Sembene's last two films, Moolaade and Faat Kine, as well as his first film La Noire De..., all deal with issues faced by African women.
• Common Themes in Sembene's films:                     
  • History of Colonialism
  • Failings of Religion
  • Critique of African bourgeoisie
  • Class Structure
  • Racism
  • Strength of African Women
• Information on Faat Kine can be found at our website, Women Get Their Due.
  

Some Awards:

• Lifetime Achievement Award                                   Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
• First Work                                                              Borom Sarret                                                                                          Tours Film Festival      
• Grand Prize                                                                 La Noire De...                                                               Dakar Black Arts Festival 
• Special Award 1980                                 Ceddo                                                                       Los Angeles
• Jury Award                                                    Moolaade                                                                       Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival
• Unicef Prize                                                               Camp de Thiaroye                                                    45th Venice Mostra

Quotes about Sembene:

• "A luminary that lit the torch for ordinary people to walk the path of light... a voice that spoke without hesitation, a man with impeccable talent who unwaveringly held on to his artistic principles and did that with great integrity and dignity. "                                                                        - Seipati Bulani Hopa, Secretary General of Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI)
• "A well-rounded intellectual and an exceptionally cultured humanist... an informed social critic [who] provided the world with an alternative knowledge of Africa."                 - Dr. Z. Pallo Jordan, Minister of Arts and Culture, South Africa.

Something Fun!
 

• Sembene lived at the beach in a cottage he built himself.
• Sembene suffered from sea sickness.  This is why he could not follow his father's footsteps as a fisherman.
• When Ceddo was censored in Senegal, Sembene personally handed out fliers at theatres describing the deleted scenes. 
• Sembene began making films at the relatively late age of forty in order to reach a larger audience.
• Honored at 2008 Academy Awards.
• Survived by three sons.