Karmen Gei (2001)
"Karmen Geï" (original title)

Director:

Joseph Gaï Ramaka

Writers:

Prosper Mérimée (novel), Joseph Gaï Ramaka

Stars:

Djeïnaba Diop Gaï, Magaye Niang, Stephanie Biddle

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Djeïnaba Diop Gaï	...	Karmen Geï
Magaye Niang	...	Lamine Diop
Stephanie Biddle	...	Prison Gov. Angelique
Thierno Ndiaye Doss	...	Old Samba (as Thierno Ndiaye Dos)
Dieynaba Niang	...	Ma Penda
El Hadg Ndiaye	...	Massigi
Aïssatou Diop	...	Majiguene
Wildemir Normil	...	Superintendent
Yandé Codou Sène	...	Beach singer
Massamba Madieye	...	Mansour
Ibrahima Mbaye	...	Sidar
Coly Mbaye	...	Inspector Tall
Abasse Wade	...	Calki
Ibrahima Khalil Paye	...	Policeman Laye
Patricia Gomis	...	Marie-Madeleine

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

africa | singing | lesbian | jazz music | african | 

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Genres:

Musical | Romance | Drama

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Details

Country:

Senegal France Canada

Language:

French Wolof

Release Date:

27 June 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Karmen Gei

Filming Locations:

Dakar, Senegal

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 4,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+ Horizons, Canal+, Crédit d'Impôt Cinéma et Télévision

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Smoldering, But This "Karmen" Never Ignites

This very loose retelling of Carmen begins on a high note with a smoldering, sexually-frank dance between Senaglese prisoner "Karmen" and her female prison warden, but the vibrant opening minutes never ignite into any coherent film. One minute Karmen is all sexual predator, the next she is dancing in protest to her unfair government, and then suddenly she is a smuggler on the high seas... Although the film deserves kudos for postulating the first carnivorously bisexual "Karmen," the broad strokes it paints are so vignette-like and unsupported by any narrative coherence that the film comes off as a schizophrenic, undisciplined melange of "Basic-Instinct" meets "Bound" meets an African version of a Bollywood musical.