Faat Kiné

I had to watch this movie in my African Studies class and I fell in love with Faat Kine! When African culture is taught to most Americans, we only hear about huts and primitive villages. That is all well and good but I always wanted to know how life really is in Africa. But in this movie, I saw the real, modern Africa. The life of an assertive businesswomen is never the topic of any African discussions or history. This movie broke the stereotypical mold of a black women and it showed the world that African women are not pushovers. Faat Kine, you go girl! This movie was so profound and it has left me wanting more. I am now searching for more movies of Faat Kine's caliber. I highly recommend this movie to anyone, it is a definite must see.

From the 1960s onward, Ousmane Sembène was a leading figure in Senegalese cinema, and in African cinema in general. His movies frequently addressed the problems facing Senegalese society, which could reflect the problems facing the rest of the continent. His second-to-last movie was 2001's "Faat Kiné".

The protagonist is a woman raped by a professor while she was in college, leading to her father labeling her a disgrace to the family. Years later, she has become a gas station clerk and hopes that her children will have a better future. But there's something around the corner.

If you're used to typical Hollywood cinema, then you'll want to avoid this at all costs. No superheros, aliens, high action or any of that here. The focus is on Kiné, her family, and her friends as windows into modern Senegal. While Dakar is a fairly developed city, poverty abounds, although the people still try to stay upbeat.

All in all, it's a perceptive look at contradictions. Kiné is strong woman in a patriarchal society. I'd say that this would be a good introduction to African cinema. At the very least, it's a look at a culture that we don't often get to see. I recommend it.

Faat Kiné bore two children out of wedlock by two men, but managed to raise them without help from the fathers. She has risen to manage a gasoline station and is somewhat well off, owning a house and a small car. When her children pass college entry exams, the fathers come around asking for respect and more.

A colorful but episodic look at life in modern Dakar, revolving around the people Faat Kiné meets over several days. Moves along quickly but even minor characters appear several times, so you can get to know them. The print I saw was 118 minutes.

In the interest of being forthcoming, I will admit that I have very little experience with African films, only having seen two of them prior to watching this one (thanks to a World Cinema course I took this semester). FAAT KINE is by legendary Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene, who directed one of the other Senegalese films I saw, MANDABI. Seeing as Senegal used to be a colony, his films (that I've seen) deal with the aftermath of independence, the struggle for cultural identity, etc., although much more in MANDABI than FAAT KINE. While MANDABI lamented the loss of traditional Senegalese cultural attitudes and the lingering effects of colonialism in a post-colonial society, FAAT KINE displays a more mature and evolved perspective on what Senegalese society has become and can be. In no way is this more evident than its central character, Faat Kine, who is a self-made, unwed mother who refuses to let a man control or take advantage of her. The setup for the story is that her two children have just passed the Baccalaureate, and meanwhile, people (including her children) keep trying to set her up with a man. For all of the fuss being raised about the lack of good roles for women in Hollywood, Ousmane Sembene certainly didn't have that problem here. Even though the film over 15 years old, and originated in a majority-Muslim society, Kine is a much stronger, well-written female character than you will find in many Hollywood films. Although gender roles in a highly conservative, religious society is the primary focus, Sembene also finds the time to occasionally comment on politics, the colonial issue and, in a fashion similar to MANDABI, makes his most important points in the final scenes. Ultimately, what Sembene is trying to say is that the Senegal/Africa of his youth is gone and the people who cling to the past are foolish and undeserving of respect. What is valued now is an independent mindset along with a strong devotion to country, i.e., they can't keep living in the shadow of their colonial past and must embrace the hybrid culture which emerged from their independence as a nation. Hopefully I've read the film at least partially correctly. Aside from the messages and themes, I thought it was well-made on a technical level. The acting was a bit stiff at times, but I can't hold that against the film too much. Tonally, it was a rather deft blend of drama and comedy, along with some surprisingly suggestive dialogue at times. The only legitimate fault I can find is that maybe the film was a little too long, and they could have cut back on the flashbacks. Overall, I know this won't be to everyone's tastes, but for those adventurous few who enjoy foreign films this should prove to be a valuable cultural experience.

Faat Kiné is a fascinating mixture of drama, humor, and sociology. This is one of the first African films I have seen where all the characters are African--no colonial arrogance or benevolence intrudes into the story. (Granted, the fact that everyone in this African nation communicates in French automatically brings the colonial power into the story, but none of the characters is French.) Sembene is a master, and he manages to develop a masterpiece with what is obviously a low budget and a mostly amateur cast. There is a confrontational scene near the end of the film that is somewhat formulaic. Other than that, I have nothing but praise for this picture and its director.