La noire de... (1966)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Ousmane Sembene

Writer:

Ousmane Sembene (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A black girl from Senegal becomes a servant in France.

Plot Keywords:

France | Maid | Mute | Color In Title | African

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Mbissine Thérèse Diop	...	Diouana
Anne-Marie Jelinek	...	Madame (as Anne-Marie Jelinck)
Robert Fontaine	...	Monsieur
Momar Nar Sene	...	Diouana's Boyfriend
Ibrahima Boy	...	Boy with Mask
Bernard Delbard	...	Young Male Guest
Nicole Donati	...	Young Female Guest
Raymond Lemeri	...	Old Male Guest (as Raymond Lemery)
Suzanne Lemeri	...	Old Female Guest (as Suzanne Lemery)
Philippe	...	Couple's Oldest Son
Sophie	...	Couple's Daughter
Damien	...	Couple's Youngest Son
Toto Bissainthe	...	Diouana (voice)
Robert Marcy	...	Monsieur (voice)
Sophie Leclerc	...	Madame (voice)

Also Known As:

Black Girl (Canada: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

France | Senegal

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Filmi Domirev

Trivia:

This is believed to be the first feature film made by a black African in sub-Saharan Africa.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hype! (1996)

First film made by a Black African director

I am very glad I finally saw "Black Girl." I missed seeing it when it was first released in the U.S., and now--36 years after it was produced--the film found its way to Upstate New York (Rochester Labor Film Festival).

We cannot judge this movie in 2002 terms--by those terms it is technically crude, and too short (only 65 minutes). The print shown in Rochester was of poor quality--especially just before and after reel changes.

Despite all these hurdles, I found "Black Girl" compelling and disturbing. The basic themes are the conflict and contrasts between White and Black, European and African, rich and poor, literate and non-literate. The contrasts are not subtle, but neither are they violent or brutal. There is no physical violence, but rather emotional and psychological violence.

Sembene--who had to learn his cinema craft in Russia because opportunities were denied him by the French--is a master. A master working without star actors and without state-of-the-art technology can still produce a masterpiece!