Featuring recent award-winning films from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Senegal, and the United States, the West African Cinema Series is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Lina Iris Viktor: A Haven. A Hell. A Dream Deferred.

• Saturday, September 29, 2 pm: Sembene! (Not rated, 2015)
• Saturday, October 13, 2 pm: Green White Green (Rated PG, 2017)
• Saturday, December 8, 2 pm: Borders (Not rated, 2017)
• Saturday, December 15, 2 pm: Pray the Devil Back to Hell (Not rated, 2008)

ABOUT SEMBENE!

This film by co-directors co-directed by Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman explores the life and career of Ousmane Sembene, the “father of African film,” who blended styles to create films that challenged existing power structures and promoted new visions of the African continent. In a career spanning forty years, Sembene (1923–2007) tasted the highs and the lows, only to re-invent himself with a powerful blend of documentary, French New Wave, and Realism, creating films that shocked the sociopolitical power structures of the day. Classics like Xala, Black Girl, and Moolaade established his cinematic vision and made him an international emissary who presented the inner lives of his people on film. Told by those who knew him best and with fascinating archival interviews, Sembene! constructs a revealing portrait of a curious, cantankerous, and deeply intellectual artist. (Senegal | Not rated | 2015 | 1 hour, 29 minutes)

Watch the trailer: