Moolaadé (2004)

Director:

Ousmane Sembene

Writer:

Ousmane Sembene

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (Austria)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Set in Burkina Faso, an inspiring story about a group of women who stand up for their rights against the traditions of their village

Plot:

When a woman shelters a group of girls from suffering female circumcision, she starts a conflict that tears her village apart.

Plot Keywords:

Torture | Female Circumcision | Caesarean Birth | Murder | Sexism

Awards:

6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Fatoumata Coulibaly	...	Collé Gallo Ardo Sy
Maimouna Hélène Diarra	...	Hadjatou
Salimata Traoré	...	Amasatou
Dominique Zeïda	...	Mercenaire
Mah Compaoré	...	Doyenne des Exciseuses
Aminata Dao	...	Alima Bâ
Rasmane Ouedraogo	...	Ciré Bathily
Ousmane Konaté	...	Amath Bathily
Bakaramoto Sanogo	...	Abdou
Modibo Sangaré	...	Balla Bathily
Joseph Traoré	...	Dugutigi
Théophile Sowié	...	Ibrahima (as Moussa Théophile Sowié)
Balla Habib Dembélé	...	Sacristain (as Habib Dembélé)
Gustave Sorgho	...	Bakary
Cheick Oumar Maiga	...	Kémo Tiékura
Sory Ibrahima Koïta	...	Kémo Ansumana (as Ibrahima Sory Koita)
Aly Sanon	...	Konaté
Moussa Sanogo	...	Konaté fils
Naky Sy Savane	...	Sanata (as Naki Sy Savane)
Stéphanie Nikiema	...	Mah
Marie Yameogo	...	Exciseuse (as Marie Augustine Yameogo)
Mabintou Baro	...	Exciseuse
Tata Konaté	...	Exciseuse
Fatoumata Sanogo	...	Exciseuse
Madjara Konaté	...	Exciseuse
Fatoumata Konaté	...	Exciseuse
Fatoumata Sanou	...	Nafissatou
Mamissa Sanogo	...	Oumy
Mariama Souabo	...	Jaatu
Lala Drabo	...	Saaiba
Georgette Paré	...	Niassi
Assita Soura	...	Seymabou
Alimatou Traoré	...	Binetou
Edith Nana Kaboré	...	Ibatou
Maminata Sanogo	...	Coumba
Sanata Sanogo	...	La Reine mère
Mafirma Sanogo	...	Fify

Directed by
Ousmane Sembene

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ousmane Sembene

Produced by
Thierry Lenouvel	....	co-producer
Ousmane Sembene	....	producer

Original Music by
Boncana Maïga

Cinematography by
Dominique Gentil

Film Editing by
Abdellatif Raïss

Production Design by
Joseph Kpobly

Production Management
Drissa Auba	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clarence Thomas Delgado	....	first assistant director
Dominique Zeïda	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Christian Germain	....	foley artist
Denis Guilhem	....	sound
Jean-Guy Veran	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Sylvain Bardoux	....	grip
Sylvain Bardoux	....	key grip

Other crew
Sophie Dwernicki	....	script supervisor
Claire Viroulaud	....	press attache

Production Companies

• Ciné-Sud Promotion
• Centre Cinématographique Marocain
• Cinétéléfilms
• Direction de la Cinematographie Nationale
• Filmi Domireew
• Les Films Terre Africaine

Distributors

• Cinemien (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Folkets Bio (2005) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Les Films du Paradoxe (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• New Yorker Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Stadtkino Verleih (2005) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Xenix Filmdistribution (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Commission Européenne  contribution
• Ercidan  titles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

Senegal | France | Burkina Faso | Cameroon | Morocco | Tunisia

Language:

Bambara | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Australia:M | France:Unrated | Sweden:11 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-11 | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Senegal

Company:

Ciné-Sud Promotion

Trivia:

The meaning of the word Moolaadé is magical protection.

Goofs:

Continuity: Mercenaire's shirt is drenched with sweat when he takes a drink before setting up shop, but is dry when customers begin to arrive.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Another gem from an African icon

One of legendary Senagalese director Ousmane Sembene's defining films. A fascinating study of the clash between pragmatic modern thinking and staunch religious traditionalism in Senegal. The film focuses on the controversial procedure of 'purification', in which young girls are forced to undergo genital mutilation to supposedly make them better, more faithful, wives in the future. When six young girls flee the process, four of them seek refuge with a well-known woman, Collé (Fatoumata Coulibaly), who is viewed with suspicion in the community for her stubborn refusal to adhere to all the societal 'norms'. Collé offers the girls protection (moolaadé), a spell which can only be broken if she herself utters the words which will end the moolaadé. Collé herself had refused to let her daughter be 'purified' and her actions prove to be inflammatory, causing the elders to become increasingly nervy about her failure to conform. As their control mechanism is slowly eroded they lash out and the community takes on alarming animalistic tendencies. Although the film ends in a rather idealistic fashion, Sembene's work is both moving and engaging. His stance on the core debate is clear but the views of the various community members are not so. In this way he is able to explore ideas of male hegemony while simultaneously studying the difficulties faced by the patriarch in striving towards accepted constructions of masculinity. Sembene understands the quirks of this society and his representations of these offer both light relief and food for thought. Ultimately the film swings back to the debate at its core - the battle between old and new. The modern approach is symbolised by the women's radios (and the knowledge acquired from them) and by the chief's French-educated son, who becomes the first to turn his back on the male elders. Religious traditionalism manifests itself through a ruthless and outdated male hegemony and it is clear that Sembene sees feminism as a crucial means by which modernisation can be achieved. His film provides an insight into an under-represented part of the world. It is a beautifully told story which offers a multi-layered yet concise analysis of ongoing issues which are relevant to us all.