Black Girl (1966)

A black girl from Senegal becomes a servant in France.

Director:

Ousmane Sembene

Writers:

Ousmane Sembene (based on a novella by), Ousmane Sembene

Stars:

Mbissine Thérèse Diop, Anne-Marie Jelinek, Robert Fontaine

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Mbissine Thérèse Diop	...	Diouana
Anne-Marie Jelinek	...	Madame (as Anne-Marie Jelinck)
Robert Fontaine	...	Monsieur
Momar Nar Sene	...	Diouana's Boyfriend
Ibrahima Boy	...	Boy with Mask
Bernard Delbard	...	Young Male Guest
Nicole Donati	...	Young Female Guest
Raymond Lemeri	...	Old Male Guest (as Raymond Lemery)
Suzanne Lemeri	...	Old Female Guest (as Suzanne Lemery)
Philippe	...	Couple's Oldest Son
Sophie	...	Couple's Daughter
Damien	...	Couple's Youngest Son
Toto Bissainthe	...	Diouana (voice)
Robert Marcy	...	Monsieur (voice)
Sophie Leclerc	...	Madame (voice)

Storyline

A Senegalese woman is eager to find a better life abroad. She takes a job as a governess for a French family, but finds her duties reduced to those of a maid after the family moves from Dakar to the south of France. In her new country, the woman is constantly made aware of her race and mistreated by her employers. Her hope for better times turns to disillusionment and she falls into isolation and despair. The harsh treatment leads her to consider suicide the only way out.

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Plot Keywords:

narrated by character | inner monologue | domestic worker | photo | photograph | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Senegal France

Language:

French

Release Date:

1966 (Senegal)

Also Known As:

Black Girl

Filming Locations:

France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmi Domirev, Les Actualités Françaises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is believed to be the first feature film made by a black African in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Alternate Versions

A 70 min. version includes a color sequence. It was cut to adjust to the length requirements of the French producers.

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Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: New Directors, New Form (2011)

User Reviews

A Thoughtful Commentary...

On the injustices one culture can do to another. The film is about an African woman who gets a job with a white family and agrees to follow them back to France, only to be disenheartened in the end. While, the production values were not great, the messages of this film are stronger than most major US motion pictures. The characters (especially the French) do seem to be a bit shallow, and don't have much depth to them. Yet, the theme of loneliness from displacement and cultural injustice ring powerfully loud in the end. An 8 out of 10.