Black Girl

Black Girl (1966), the first feature directed by the great Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene, is a raw, powerful drama. Diouana (the beautiful Mbissine Therese Diop), a young African working as a nanny for a French couple in pre-independent Senegal, accepts an invitation to continue her employment in France after the family leaves Africa, but soon discovers that the colonial motherland is not ready to accept her as one of its own. Nor, for that matter, are her employers ready to integrate her into French society, expecting Diouana to take on the additional roles of maid and housekeeper (while often failing to provide her agreed-upon salary). Diouana's attempts at self-expression are met with hostility by the pair, who once valued her humanity in Senegal but now only see her as the “black girl” at home. While the low-budget production is occasionally stiff and the political statement at times strident, Sembene presents a provocative dissection of the uneasy relationship between one-time colonial power France and its ex-colonies—the young African republics who lack financial viability without aid from their former occupier. Sembene would frequently revisit themes relating to African identity in his films, and this early endeavor continues to resonate with the distinctive mix of anger and eloquence that is the hallmark of his work. DVD extras include Sembene's early short film “Borom Sarret.” Highly recommended. (P. Hall)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Jan. 24, 2017—Criterion, 59 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1966's Black Girl features a great transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include the 1994 documentary “Sembène: The Making of African Cinema” (61 min.), the behind-the-scenes segments “On Black Girl” (22 min.) and “On Ousmane Sembène” (20 min.), Sembène's 1963 debut short “Borom Sarret” (20 min.), the featurette “On Borom Sarret” (13 min.), an interview with star M'Bissine Therese Diop (13 min.), an excerpt from “Prix Jean Vigo” (2 min.), a brief alternate color sequence, a trailer, and an essay by critic Ashley Clark. Bottom line: this African classic shines on Blu-ray.]