Sarraounia
If Med Hondo's voice as an actor is familiar to some moviegoers because of his prolific activity in dubbing American films, it is his political voice as an independent filmmaker that this cycle highlights. A Mauritanian immigrant to France, Hondo took up the camera to shout out his indignation at the injustices that his films witness and speak for: The situation of immigrants, the aftermath of colonialism, the economic stakes of post-colonialism, the sovereignty of peoples... From self-taught essays to historical frescoes, Hondo has tried his hand at different genres over the years, without ever losing his formal freedom, his biting humor, his sharp sense of analysis or his strong convictions.
Invited programmer : Annabelle Aventurin.
The story takes place in 1899, in West Africa: the French officers Voulet and Chanoine lead a mission of exploration at the head of a column of colonial troops. Going beyond their orders, they engage in massacres of the population. The sarraounia, "queen" of the village of Lougou, decides to resist them...
Med Hondo
Med Hondo was a Mauritanian-born French director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Considered a founding father of African cinema, he is known for his controversial films dealing with issues such as race relations and colonization. His critically acclaimed 1970 directorial début feature, Soleil O, received the Golden Leopard award at the 1970 Locarno International Film Festival and was chosen in 2019 by the African Film Heritage Project for restoration. His 1979 film West Indies was the first African film musical and, at $1.3 million, the most expensive production in African film history. In his later years, Hondo became known for dubbing Hollywood hits.
