Moolaadé

Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene's Cannes award-winning Moolaadé presents a vivid—and religiously and politically bold—statement against “feminine circumcision” (more generally called genital mutilation today), which remains a tradition in many contemporary African societies. A story of courage, resistance, and the inevitability of change, the film focuses on a strong-willed village woman named Collé (Fatoumata Coulibaly), who had years earlier refused to allow her daughter to be circumcised by the local priestesses. Now approached by a group of young girls seeking her protection, Collé turns her home into a sanctuary, sparking a women's resistance movement that the men attempt to suppress by destroying all the radios (the source, they believe, of the dangerous notions that have infected the women's minds). But the uprising finds a few converts even among the men, and the film ultimately suggests that change for the better is coming, regardless of the traditionalists' wishes. Although Western audiences may be a bit confused by some of the beliefs and practices here (which largely go unexplained), Sembene's simple, straightforward style is very effective, masking the urgency of the message with a cool, matter-of-fact approach. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette, interviews, additional footage, and a trailer.] (F. Swietek)