Making a powerful humanist statement

The Senegalese director-producer-writer is known for taking up powerful feminist themes that found resonance across the world.

While his films like Black Girl and Faat Kine have highlighted the resilience of African women, Moolaade is probably one of his most powerful films that focuses on the ritual of female genital mutilation. The story revolves around six young girls in a Burkina Faso village who refuse to succumb to the ritual. A hard-hitting film that at the same time is deeply moving, it draws its strength from the debate on relevance of certain rituals.
The film does on not eschew depiction of societal cruelty, but at the same time it makes a powerful humanist statement despite its theme. The superb performance of Fatoumata Coulibaly as protagonist Collé gives the fitting power to the film. A superb watch anytime.