Moolaadé (Bann der Hoffnung)

The farewell work of the great Senegalese writer-director Ousmane Sembène is probably the most uplifting film ever made about the practice of (female) circumcision: six girls have escaped this traditional ‘purification ceremony’, four of them seek refuge with Collé (played by the actress, activist and director Fatoumata Coulibaly), a tribal woman who has refused to circumcise her daughter. Collé places the girls under the protection of the ‘Moolaadé’, an ancient ban, while violent clashes begin in the village. The vehement delivery of the dialogue, the musical interludes and the socially constructed characters combine with ease to create a portrait of a (village) community and at the same time a depiction of a massive, globally effective upheaval. The grandiose final cut is an overwhelming commitment to openness and enlightenment. (Christoph Huber)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum.