Moolaade

In the words of Rodger Ebert “ Sometimes I seek the right words and I despaired.” No other line rings more true than such when relating to the subject matter for the 2004 film, Moolaade. Brougt to light by Ousmane Sembene, a man who is critically referred to as the father of African film and Co-ventured by eight other countries, it would be easy to confuse this piece with a light hearted flick at first glance. The acoustics bend the viewer’s ear towards the sounds of Burkina Faso and bring our eyes to the brightly colored scenery of the small village where Sembene searched diligently for months to find.

Moolaade is a film about protection, change, desire and tradition. It is about the “Purification” ritual within this community in Africa. A pyramid power struggle rises up in the community between the men and women, family units and elders. This only prolongs the terrifying and potentially lethal question and process looking over the heads over those who would seek solace to avoid it.

Colle (Fatoumata Coulibaly) is the second wife of twice as many, wed to a powerful and highly respected man. She had refused to involve their own daughter in the purification which had long since rendered her undesirable and unsuitable to wed. The status of being taboo jeopardizes Amsatou’s (Salimata Traore), engagement to a hep and modernized man who is set to inherit the highest standing in the village. She turns her back on tradition, resists the cohesion of the community, her family- even endures a public beating by her husband. She takes it all to spare these young girls from the time honored practice of genital cutting. She is stubborn. She is strong. She is the superhero. Adorned on Colle’s chin is a tattoo which extends from her inner gum to the bottom of her chin. She is a rare woman, and none other sports this.

When it becomes time for another group of girls to become purified and cut, six of them escape. Knowing her history with the process four flee to Collie’s residence and beg for refuge. She grants them Moolaade, a protective spell which can not be undone nor denied until she herself does the taking back. The power struggle soon follows as word spreads she has granted these girls protection and is keeping them from the cutting ceremony. The elders, in their infinite wisdom, send out an order that all radios must be removed from the women’s custody. Modern ideas.

Female genital mutilation is a common practice in Africa, Egypt, Somalia and many other countries. And while reasons and techniques vary, Moolaade focus on religious connotations towards the act. There are many botched jobs and impoverished families perform the ritual with rusty knives and rocks, but still it goes on. The film never states what type of cutting is carried out here (infibulation or clitoraldectomy) but we do get a sense of alterations done to the genital. The night Collie’s husband returns home from long trip away they bed together. The ‘surgery’ not only removes pleasurable sensation during sex from the women who receive it but also makes it excruciatingly painful. After being ripped open at her purified surgical site Collie’s third wife comes to her aide. Still, up until this point even the women support this process.

This was Sembene’s last film at the age of 93. As his last work it comes to speak volumes. In an interview with Bonnie Greer in 2005 ( link below) he expressed his wish for the telling of this culture’s struggles, by this culture and his hope to do it justice. The film presents this harsh and controversial subject matter in a subtle and slow approaching way. For me, the impact lingers long past the credits.





Ousmane Sembène at Sundance



http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2005/jun/05/features