Ousmane Sembene: The Making of a Militant Artist
Samba Gadjigo presents a unique personal portrait and intellectual history of novelist and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène. Though Sembène has persistently deflected attention away from his personality, his life, and his past, Gadjigo has had unprecedented access to the artist and his family. This book is the first comprehensive biography of Sembène and contributes a critical appraisal of his life and art in the context of the political and social influences on his work. Beginning with Sembène's...
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Samba Gadjigo presents a unique personal portrait and intellectual history of novelist and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène. Though Sembène has persistently deflected attention away from his personality, his life, and his past, Gadjigo has had unprecedented access to the artist and his family. This book is the first comprehensive biography of Sembène and contributes a critical appraisal of his life and art in the context of the political and social influences on his work. Beginning with Sembène's life in Casamance, Senegal, and ending with his militant career as a dockworker in Marseilles, Gadjigo places Sembène into the context of African colonial and postcolonial culture and charts his achievements in film and literature. This landmark book reveals the inner workings of one of Africa's most distinguished and controversial figures.
Foreword Danny Glover xiPreface xvAcknowledgments xxvPart 1 On the Banks of a Mighty River: Ousmane Sembène's Childhood 11 Casamance 52 At the Crossroads of Cultures 113 Youth and Its Discontents 174 Colonial Violence 28Part 2 Dakar: The Turbulent Years 335 The Lebu Ghettos of Dakar Plateau 356 The World of Labor 457 The Experience of Racism 498 "Here We Come, Marshal!" 58Part 3 Dakar in the Postwar Period 639 The Winds of Change 6710 The Moment of Truth 75Part 4 The Making of a Militant-Artist 8511 "The Village" 8912 The Docker 10113 The Militant 11014 The Ftre-Giver 130Conclusion 149Biographical Landmarks 153Notes 167Index 185
\ Choice"This is the first biography of one of the most important African writers and filmmakers... an enjoyable read.... Recommended." —Choice\ \ \ \ \ Research in African Literatures"Gadjigo's admiration of Sembène along with the intellectual earnestness with which he has documented the life of one of Africa's most gifted artists yields a fine and welcome first biography of a formidable man." —Research in African Literatures, Vol. 42.2, Summer 2011\ \ \ African Affairs Advance Access"Very well documented, this biography is of critical importance and unquestionable value to students, teachers, and researchers of African literature and cinema." —African Affairs Advance Access, September 2, 2011\ \ \ \ \ French Review"[T]his narrative that reconstitutes the world that shaped one of the greatest African artists is a significant contribution to the fields of African, Film, and Francophone Studies." —French Review\ \
