French and Francophone Studies 225: Senegalese cinema

Migration and language are central themes in Senegalese cinema. Beginning with the work of Ousmane Sembene, Senegalese filmmakers assert the importance of African languages in film at the same time as they document and critique the conflicting roles of French language in Senegalese society. Through the work of Sembene Ousmane and successors Djibril Diop Mambéty, Moussa Sene Absa, and Matti Diop, we will explore the central preoccupations and visual and verbal languages of Senegalese cinema. Course work will include screenings, short readings, written assignments, and presentations. Conducted in French.