Film Info
Xala

Film Information

Exhibition Title	Xala
Original Title	Xala
English Title	Xala
Director	Ousmane Sembène
Country
Year	1975
Format	35 mm
Colour	Color
Duration	123'

Cast:

Intérpretes / Cast: Thierno Leye, Myriam Niang, Seune Samb, Fatim Diagne, Younouss Ture

Production:

Dirección / Director: Ousmane Sembène
Guión / Scriptwriter: Ousmane Sembène
Fotografía / Cinematography: Georges Caristan, Orlando L. López, Seydina D. Saye, Farba Seck
Producción / Producer: Paulin Soumanou Vieyra
Compañía Productora / Production Company: Films Domireew, Ste. Me. Production du Senegal

dates & times ticket

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Synopsis

Widely regarded as Ousmane Sembène’s finest achievement, Xala is a cutting morality tale that equally blames the corruption of Senegal’s sociopolitical environment on Euro-centricity and African auto-destruction. In the country’s capital city, a group of black individuals attain political power via an absurdist coup and Sembène observes the corruptive effects this sudden shift of power has on the community. Though these men have regained control of a government that belongs to their people, they are oblivious to the responsibility that comes with this power. Sadly, their intents are entirely self-serving if not simply ridiculous (the demand for everyone to speak French and the preference for European bottled water). You’d be hard pressed to find a filmmaker this critical of the political powers-that-be that threaten their fellow people’s livelihoods.