“Sembène’s boldest political statement.” – J. Hoberman, The Village Voice
“Achieves an operatic orchestration of raw forces similar to Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky or Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai.” – The Village Voice
Slave traders, Christian missionaries, and proselytizing Muslims come together at a mythical, unspecified moment of West African history, as a Wolof princess resists a powerful imam who forcibly converts an entire village. “Ceddo” refers to a caste that refuses conversion to Islam or Christianity. This film, banned in Senegal, incorporates gorgeous costumes and music from Cameroonian jazzman Manu Dibango. 1977, 35mm, in French and Wolof with English subtitles, 120 minutes.
