Moolaadé
by Ousmane Sembene
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DVD Cover Information
Actor:  Maimouna HélÃ..ne Diarra, Salimata Traoré Fatoumata CoulibalyDirector: Ousmane Sembene
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 124 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-12-11
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: New Yorker
Movie Reviews of Moolaadé
Movie Review: Insightful and brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
Ousmane Sembene is a renowned name in African cinema ("Black Girl") and in "Moolade", he shows that even at an advanced age, he hasn't lost his magic touch. The film revolves around the subject of female genital mutilation (FGM) which is a rampant practice in Africa. Deriving in part from the Muslim faith, it is actually deeply rooted in tradition and is seen more as a cultural practice than driven by religion (I say this because I grew up in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, and my female Muslim friends were not subjected to this barbaric act).When one really looks at it, the practice is one enforced by a patriarchal society to subjugate its females, seeing that the clitoris (which is excised in the ritual) acts as a means of sexual pleasure for women. By excising this little piece of flesh, control is exerted over women, and this so-called "purification" ritual is seen as a means to prevent women from straying, however preposterous that may seem to many of us.
The story takes place in an African village where a few girls try to evade FGM by seeking shelter with Colle Gallo Ardo Sy, who herself had lost two daughters to this monstrous act ( often, this ritual is carried out via unhygienic means, using shards of glass, rusty razor blades, etc resulting in infection and eventually death). Colle uses "moolaade" to seek asylum, marking her doorway with a rope that acts as a protective measure against the 'salindana' or women circumcisers and anyone else that wish to take the girls away (for fear of an ancient curse). Matters are further complicated with the return of a young man from the village whose time spent abroad in France has broadened his worldview. The story in essence captures the stand-off between the tradition-bound village folk and those who decry the barbarity of FGM.
Fatoumata Coulibaly's performance as the strong-willed and determined Colle is a sight to behold indeed, especially with the return of her own husband and the portrayal of the dynamics of their relationship. The optimism in the end may seem a tad misplaced if only because FGM is far from being eradicated in some parts of the world, but it serves as a stark reminder that any cultural tradition that is out of sync with a civilized world can and should be challenged, and this extends beyond FGM to child marriages in India, the practice of burning young brides due to unpaid/insufficient dowries, honor killings, and many more worthy causes.
Summary of Moolaadé
The final film from African cinema's founding father, Ousmane Sembene, MOOLAADE is a potent polemic directed against the still-common practice of female circumcision. Though the subject matter may seem weighty, this buoyant film is anything but - Sembene places the action amid a colorful, vibrant tapestry of village life, employing an imaginative array of emblematic metaphors, mythic overtones, and spirited songs. MOOLAADE reinforces the strong feminist consciousness that marked his earlier classics FAAT KINE, BLACK GIRL, and CEDDO. In a small village, four young girls facing ritual 'purification' flee to the household of Collé Ardo Gallo Sy, a strong-willed woman who has managed to shield her own teenage daughter from mutilation. Collé invokes the time-honored custom of moolaadé (sanctuary) to protect the fugitives. Tension mounts as the ensuing stand-off pits Collé against village traditionalists (both male and female) endangering her daughter's prospective marriage to the heir-apparent to the tribal throne.
A sharp critic of the internal problems of modern Africa, but also a passionate advocate of African pride and autonomy, Sembene's fiery spirit will live on beyond the stand-up-and-cheer finale.
Voted Best Foreign Film of the Year by the National Society of Film Critics and the following publications all selected MOOLAADE as One of the Ten Best Films of the Year: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Boston Globe, LA Weekly, Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, The Village Voice, Houston Chronicle.
DVD Details: Senegal, 2004, 124 minutes, Color, Region 1, NTSC, Widescreen presentation: Enhanced for 16x9 TVs/Letterboxed for 4x3, Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0, In Jula (a dialect of Bambara) and French with optional English subtitles; scene selections. Special Features: A 2-disc set; Featurette: Making of MOOLAADE; Sembene: Portrait of a Filmmaker; footage from the film's African premiere in Burkina Faso; interviews with director Ousmane Sembene and three actresses; interviews with activists in Burkina Faso who speak about female genital mutilation (FGM); promotional film for FORWARD, a U.K. NGO leading the fight against FGM; theatrical trailer; and a 16-page booklet.
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