CARLETON UNIVERSITY FILM STUDIES & WORLD CINEMA … · CARLETON UNIVERSITY FILM STUDIES & WORLD...

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1 CARLETON UNIVERSITY FILM STUDIES & WORLD CINEMA FORUM PRESENT THE INDOCILE IMAGE A RETROSPECTIVE AND A SYMPOSIUM ON THE CINEMA OF MED HONDO 6 DAYS – 6 FILMS & A TWO-DAY SYMPOSIUM MED HONDO IN ATTENDANCE FEBRUARY 22- 27, 2016 Soleil O (1970) - West Indies (1979) - Sarraounia (1986) Lumière Noire (1994) - Watani, A World without Evil (1998) Fatima, the Algerian Woman of Dakar (2004)

Transcript of CARLETON UNIVERSITY FILM STUDIES & WORLD CINEMA … · CARLETON UNIVERSITY FILM STUDIES & WORLD...

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CARLETONUNIVERSITYFILMSTUDIES&

WORLDCINEMAFORUMPRESENT

THEINDOCILEIMAGE ARETROSPECTIVEANDASYMPOSIUMONTHE

CINEMAOFMEDHONDO

6DAYS–6FILMS&ATWO-DAYSYMPOSIUMMEDHONDOINATTENDANCE

FEBRUARY22-27,2016SoleilO(1970)-WestIndies(1979)-Sarraounia(1986)

LumièreNoire(1994)-Watani,AWorldwithoutEvil(1998)Fatima,theAlgerianWomanofDakar(2004)

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TheIndocileImage:ARetrospectiveandaSymposiumontheCinemaofMed

Hondo,aPioneerofAfricanCinema.

CarletonUniversity’sFilmStudiesProgramandWorldCinemaForumarepleasedto

inviteyoutoaweeklongretrospectiveandatwo-daysymposiumonthecinemaofMed

Hondo,fromFebruary22toFebruary27,2016.

WithoutadoubtoneofthemostimportantfilmdirectorsinAfricaandintheworld

today,MedHondoisnotonlyoneofthefoundationalfiguresofAfricancinemaalong

withOusmaneSembeneandothers,butalsooneofthemosttalented,radically

versatileandprofoundlyinfluentialdirectorsfromthecontinent.Withacareer

spanningmorethanfivedecades,severalprofessions(dubbing,acting,directingand

producingforthetheaterandthecinema)andyieldingtwelvefilmssetonthree

continents(Africa,Europe,theAmericas),MedHondohasplayedanindispensablerole

intheestablishmentofsomeofthemostimportantandenduringinstitutionsofthe

continent’scinema,includingthePan-AfricanFilmFestivalofOuagadougou(FESPACO)

andthePan-AfricanFederationofFilmmakers(FEPACI).Hehasalsoproducedimportant

writtentextsoutliningsignificantaxesoftheprojectofAfricancinemaincludingthe

needto“avoidcopyingtheEuropeanandAmericancinema”.

InthisveryfirstCanadianhomagetothisworld-classfilmdirector,andincelebrationof

BlackHistoryMonth,legendarydirectorMedHondowillbewithusinOttawato

introduceallhisfilmsandtoparticipateintheinternationalsymposiumonhiscinema

involvingsomeofthemostdistinguishedfilmscholarsinthefieldsofAfricancinema,

cinemaandhistoryandfilmtheoryfromaroundtheworld.Anextremelyrareoccasion

nottobemissed!

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FilmScreenings:AllfilmswillbeintroducedanddiscussedbyDirectorMedHondoMonday,February22,5.30pm-8pm-NationalGalleryofCanadaLectureHall-OfficialOpening-SoleilO(1970)(105min)Tuesday,February23,6pm-SP435-LumièreNoire(1994)-(107min)Wednesday,February24-6.30pm-DuntonTower2017-Watani,AWorldwithoutEvil(1998)(103min)Thursday,February25,6pm-SP100-Sarraounia,AnAfricanQueen(1986)(121min)Friday,February26,6pm-SP100-WestIndies:TheFugitiveSlavesofLiberty(1979)(113min)Saturday,February27,7pm-RiverBuilding2200-FatimatheAlgerianWomanofDakar(2004)(89min)InternationalSymposiumontheCinemaofMedHondoFriday,February26,3pm-SP100-OpeningandKeynoteLecturebyDr.RobertRosenstone4pm-CarletonUniversityArtGallery-OpeningReceptionSaturday,February27,9am-5pm-SP100-All-DaySymposiumParticipants:RobertRosenstone(CaliforniaInstituteofTechnology),PhilipRosen(BrownUniversity),MbyeCham(HowardUniversity),FrankUkadike(TulaneUniversity),SheilaPetty(UniversityofRegina),JudeAkudinobi(UniversityofSantaBarbara),MouradElFahli(SidiMohamedBenAbdellahUniversity),AboubakarSanogo(CarletonUniversity).AdmissionisFreeNoregistrationrequiredAllarewelcomeOrganizedby:FilmStudiesWorldCinemaForumSponsoredby:SocialScienceandHumanitiesResearchCouncil(SSHRC)MigrationandDiasporaStudiesInstituteforComparativeStudiesinLiterature,ArtandCultureCarletonUniversityArtGallerySchoolforStudiesinArtandCultureInstituteofAfricanStudiesDepartmentofHistory

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IncollaborationwithCenterforTransnationalCulturalAnalysis(CTCA)NationalGalleryofCanada/Muséedesbeaux-artsduCanadaForfurtherinformation,pleasecontactDr.AboubakarSanogo,FilmStudiesOffice:SP432Phone(613)520-2600,ext.2346

Email:[email protected]

KumruBilici:[email protected](FilmStudiesDepartment)–Phone613-262-7404Parking: Parkingisavailableforvisitorsoncampusforafeeandisavailableinseveralon-streetlocations,openlots,andparkinggarages. Seethe Parking map Allvisitorandpermitparkingareasareenforcedforpaymentcompliancefrom7a.m.to10:30p.m.,MondaytoSunday.

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TheIndocileImage:ARetrospectiveandaSymposiumontheCinemaofMedHondo-February22-27,2016)ScreeningSchedule:Mon,Feb22nd-SoleilO(1969-1970)–105min-NationalArtGalleryofCanada-LectureHall-5:30pmSoleil O is Med Hondo’s inaugural masterpiece,garnering him theGolden Leopard at the LocarnoInternational Film Festival in 1970, and instantlysecuring his place as one of the giants of Africanandworldcinema.Followingalooselyconstructednarrative of the travails of an accountantconfidently arriving in Paris to pursue his dreams,the film meticulously uncovers the challenges hefaces including racial, housing and employmentdiscriminationalongwithsexualobjectification.ForMed Hondo, filming themigrant condition entailsgoing beyond consequences and analyzing, withcaustic humor and imagination, causalities (whichinclude colonialism, the structures of capitalismandtheimplicationsofneocolonialism)inordertoeffectchange.Thefilmannouncesthearrivalofamaverickdirectorintentontakingontheveryformofthemediumthroughhisuseofdigression,communicativesymbolism,cinemaverite,and Eisensteinianmontage. This is a film that immediately partakes in themodernistpantheonofthecinema.“ThegreatestAfricanfilmtodate”(JeuneAfrique)“SoleilO imposes itself: rarelyhasa first film felt sopowerful, soeffervescentand sorichastestimony.“BernardCohn(Positif)“OneofthemostoriginalfilmsselectedattheSemainedelaCritiqueatCannes1970iswithoutdoubtSoleilObyMauritaniandirectorMedHondo.”(LettresFrançaises).Tues,Feb23rd-LumièreNoire(1994)-107min-SP435-6pm

Lumière Noire tells the story of a policeblunder which takes place in a Frenchairport.Thevictim’sfriend,anengineeratAirFrance,learnsthattheonlywitnesstothecrimeisayoungMalianmandetainedon the top floorof ahotel, expectinghisimminentdeportationbycharteredplanealongside hundreds of companions ofmisfortune. The friend takes off toBamako in search of the one hundredthandfirstMalian.

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MedHondoexperimentswiththecrimethrillertoexploretherealityofthedeportationof African migrants back to their countries of origin. The director faced endlessinstancesof “preventive censorship” (refusalofpermits to shootatCharlesdeGaulleairport and surrounding hotels). Ultimately only the direct intervention of the FrenchPresidentFrançoisMitterandhimselfunlockedthesituation.“FromtimetotimeoneseesonParisianscreensunusualmeteors.Thisisonesuchfilm.’(Positif).Wed,Feb24th–Watani,AWorldwithoutEvil(1998)–103min-DuntonTower2017-6:30pmShotinblackandwhiteonashoestringbudget,inaminimalistmodeandwithwinkstowardsilentcinema,Felliniandhiphopculture,Wataniwasinspiredbynewsofdailyhumiliationof migrants and a general context of fear. Thefilm contrasts the lives two characterswho losetheir job the same day: Patrick Clement, amarriedbankclerkwithtwodaughtersandawifeconsigned to a wheel chair as a result of aterrorist attack and Mamadou Sylla an Africanimmigrant,alsoafatheroftwo,whoisagarbagecollector.While the latter seeks employment invain (in a situation reminiscent of Soleil O), theformer drifts slowly into the hands of extremistrightwing groupswho attack and kill black andArab migrants in the dark of the night. Offersfood for thought in our troubled contemporaryhistoricalcontext.Thurs,Feb25th-Sarraounia,anAfricanQueen(1986)-121min-SP100-6:00pm

By adapting AbdoulayeMamani’s eponymousbook,MedHondochosetomake an epic of one pageof the great encyclopediaof African resistanceagainst colonialism.Following the notorious1884-5 Berlin conference,European countriesengagedinacollectiveandsystematic assault on theAfrican continent in order

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to takeover its landsandresources, lordover the livesof its inhabitants,and imposetheir culture and modes of thought. Headed for Lake Chad in Central Africa, theinfamousandbloodthirstyVoulet-ChanoineFrenchmilitaryexpeditionmeetsonitspaththe indomitable and incomparable strategist Queen Sarraounia, leader of the Azna,whobravely resists their incursion.Shot ingloriousTechniscope,with luxuriant colorsandexquisitelystagedactionsandbattlescenesacrossmultipleplanes,thefilmwonthe1987 Yennenga Stallion at FESPACO and contributed , along with the book, to therehabilitationof thismajor figureofAfricanhistorywhohadheretoforebeenwrittenoutofhistorybooksbutkeptaliveinorature.“Bestfilm.Itdeserveswiderrelease.”MikeHunter,TheHeraldTribune“Ahymntodignity.”FrancoiseBalogun,WestAfrica“ThefirstmajorAfricanepicfilm.”ClaudeWauthier,LeMonde.“Swirlingbattlescenesarepowerful,emotional.”PhilipFrench,TheObserverFridayFeb26th-WestIndies:TheFugitiveSlavesofLiberty(1979)-113min–SP100-6pmBy all measures one ofMed Hondo’s lastingmasterpieces, West Indiesis a visually and aurallystunning musicalappropriatelysetonagiantslave ship symbolizing thetriangular relationshipbetween Africa, Europeand the Caribbean. Thefilm explores parallelsbetween the forcedmigrationoftheAtlanticslavetradeandthemorerecentmigrationofAfro-Caribbeansubjects to former colonial metropoles. In this explosive demonstration of virtuosity,MedHondodeftlytakesadvantageofthestaging,framingandmontagepossibilitiesoffilming in one location and in widescreen format, four centuries of history throughgenial tracking shots, vertical mise-en-scene, well-crafted long takes, changes intemporality through camera movement, lush colors and poignant lyrics andchoreographieswhichinvitethespectatortojoininthestruggletotransformtheworld.Oneofthemostvertiginousclosingsequencesincinema.”Dixit Med Hondo: "I wanted to free the very concept of musical comedy from itsAmericantrademark.Iwantedtoshowthateachpeopleonearthhaditsownmusicalcomedy,itsownmusicaltragedyanditsownthoughtshapedthroughitsownhistory."“MedHondo’smusical isarevolutionarymusical inbothsensesoftheword…”(JanetMaslin,NewYorkTimes)

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SaturdayFeb27th-Fatima,theAlgerianWomanofDakar(2004)-89min-RB2200–7pmFatima the AlgerianWoman of Dakar is MedHondo’s adaptation of ashort story by the lateTaharCheriaa, founder theCarthage Film Festival in1966. Exploring thelegacies of decolonizationand as a testimony to thedirector’s profoundinvestment in thehistorical, the filmtells thestoryofFatima,anAlgerianwomanwhoisrapedduringhercountry’sliberationwarin1957bySouleymaneFall,ayoungSenegaleseofficerheadingacolumnoftheoccupyingFrench colonial army. Upon his return to Senegal, Souleymane is summoned by hisfathertoreturntoAlgeriaandrepairtheharmhecausedFatima,who,meanwhilehasbeentheobjectofunspeakableracismforcarryingablackson.Souleymane,FatimaandtheirsonAbdelkaderultimatelyreturntoSenegal tostartanew lifepotentially fullofpromise. A brilliant hymn to the Pan-African project and a beautiful homage to thefigureofFrantzFanon.