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Black Girl

Directed by Ousmane Sembène
Senegal
1966
59 mins

Synopsis

The true story of a young Senegalese girl who moves to France to work as a nanny, but is soon treated as a slave. Sembène’s first feature film took him, and African cinema, to international acclaim.

Based on a short story written by Sembène himself, Black Girl follows a painfully shy young Senegalese woman recruited as a nanny for a French family. The heartrending character is wonderfully performed by the outstanding non-professional Mbissine Thérèse Diop as Diouana. Whilst she is initially excited at the appointment, Diouana’s relocation to Antibes for work uncovers a hidden side to her employers, and she is slowly forced into the role of a domestic slave. Black Girl is startling and harrowing, a domestic horror story revealing the injustices of colonialism.

Films showing at this event

Borom Sarret

Borom Sarret (SFF 2015) is Ousmane Sembène’s debut film, often hailed as one of the most significant short films ever made – and one that paved the way for African cinema.

Tickets

Sat 8 June 2024, 2:45am
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Assisted ListeningWheelchairSubtitled
  • Original Title
    LA NOIRE DE...
  • Year
    1966
  • Country
    Senegal
  • Language
    In Wolof and French with English subtitles
  • Director
    Ousmane Sembène
  • Producer
    André Zwoboda
  • Cast
    Mbissine Thérèse Diop, Anne-Marie Jelinek, Robert Fontaine
  • Screenwriter
    Osumane Sembène
  • Cinematographer
    Christian Lacoste
  • Editor
    André Gaudier
  • Genre
    Africa, Festival Award Winners, Cinephile, Human Rights, Retrospective
  • Company Credits
    Print Source: Janus Films
Aboriginal FlagTorres Strait Flag

Sydney Film festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.

We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

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