Sembene!

2015. USA/Senegal. 82 min.
Director: Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman

Sembene! documents the life of Ousmane Sembene, a self-taught novelist and filmmaker who fought a 50-year battle to give Africans a voice. Using a weave of archival materials, new footage, and excerpts from Sembene’s films, biographer Samba Gadjigo explores the artist’s extraordinary life from hardship to triumph as the storyteller for a new Africa. The film illustrates the determination and vision of the “father of African cinema” as he fights for the marginalized and becomes a hero to millions. Introduction by Kandioura Dramé (U.Va.)