Sembene!

In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a dockworker and fifth-grade dropout from Senegal, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. Sembene! tells the unbelievable true story of the father of African cinema, the self- taught novelist and filmmaker who fought, against enormous odds, a 50-year battle to return African stories to Africans. Sembene! is told through the experiences of the man who knew him best, colleague and biographer Samba Gadjigo, using rare archival footage and more than 100 hours of exclusive materials.

Curators’ Note

Samba Gadjigo holistically brings to life a seminal figure in African cinema, portraying him as a fully realized, three-dimensional man. In doing so, we see the person behind the title “Father of African Cinema”, his real-time influence on the careers of those around him and the making of some of his most critically acclaimed films (including Black Girl, Xala, Ceddo, and Moolade). It’s a refreshing look into cinematic history and a compelling glimpse into the life that shaped a brilliant thinker.

— Kika Memeh and Ogheneofegor Obuwoma, Akojo Film Collective

An enormously moving portrait of the profound way that art can transform those who come in contact with it.

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine

A richly crafted documentary that serves as an enlightening tribute to the filmmaker who masterfully tapped into the medium’s wide-reaching socio-political potential.

Michael Rechtshaffen, LA Times

Community Partner

UBC Africa Awareness Initiative