Black Girl by Ousmane Sembenè. Has much changed in African countries since the 1960s in regard to opportunity?
Mbissine Therese Diop as Diouana. (Source: The Criterion Collection)
La Noire de… (Black Girl) is the third film produced by Senegalese film producer, director, and writer Ousmane Sembène following Borom Sarret in 1963 and Niaye in 1964. Black Girl is one of his more prominent pieces of work, a significant feat given its release in 1966 during the premature years of Sembène’s career.
Black Girl is centered around the protagonist Diouana (Mbissine Thérèse Diop), a Senegalese woman in search of work in Dakar. Opportunities are scarce in post-independent Senegal for nationals, with many like Diouana struggling to find employment in a society that many hoped would bring a greater quality for life. Black Girl explores such with focus on one character, unpicking idealised beliefs about the Western World in conjunction with one’s own. Diouana decides to head to France for work, a place so foreign that inevitably leads to a struggle to acclimatise, an aspect many first-generation immigrants know too well.
A lament, where there was once hope. Where ambition now dwells within a chasm rotting and disfigured. That is Black Girl. Though only a running time of 59 minutes, Black Girl brings to the fore attitudes of those residing in colonies during the 1960s and beyond. The urge to transcend their situation and move to the countries that once colonised them, with the promise of a better life. This film is a critique of such, with Sembène using the moving image to convey reality. It becomes very easy to empathise with Diouana, as it is soon realised that she is one of many leaving in desperation toward unforeseen loneliness and dread, which becomes a strong theme throughout.
Dialogue is sparse, with Diouana near mute, unable to read and write but only understanding her white employers vocally. Through such, Sembène conveys the power imbalance that exists, both in this instance and on a wider scale, a method that facilitated colonisation and subsequent neo-colonisation post-independence. Though Madame encourages Diouana to ‘go and out explore’, there is no concern for her well-being in a foreign environment that is no stranger to racism, thus rendering Diouana powerless. Needing to earn a living but losing dignity through maltreatment, Diouana’s bedroom grows to embody the cocoon of melancholy she finds herself in.
Mbissine Thérèse Diop delivers a strong performance, Diouana’s idealised dreams of France are expertly transferred to the viewer, who are willing her to escape her situation. Black Girl is not an ‘edge of the seat’ thriller, in fact the narrative at times appears slow but it is one of incessant woe. Feeding off the optimism that accompanied Diouana to French shores, Sèmbene’s chosen narrative depicts this well.
There has often been a level of deceit pedaled by countries of the colonised, promoting a higher quality of life and greater opportunities in their ‘mother countries’. For Diouana, she is deceived into thinking she would serve as the nursery maid of her employers, only to find her job harsher, more menial and often humiliating. Black Girl adopts ‘the grass isn’t always green on the other side’ approach, for Sembène sought to warn his fellow Senegalese that emigrating abroad brought toil they could not foresee. However, most African countries post-independence continue to struggle with inept governments unable to support enterprise thus forcing inhabitants to seek a future elsewhere. Black Girl presents a double-edged sword, one many grappled with during the 20th century.
(Source: The Criterion Collection)
Mbissine Thérèse Diop delivers a strong performance, Diouana’s idealised dreams of France are expertly transferred to the viewer, who are willing her to escape her situation. Black Girl is not an ‘edge of the seat’ thriller, in fact the narrative at times appears slow but it is one of incessant woe. Feeding off the optimism that accompanied Diouana to French shores, Sèmbene’s chosen narrative depicts this well.
There has often been a level of deceit pedaled by countries of the colonised, promoting a higher quality of life and greater opportunities in their ‘mother countries’. For Diouana, she is deceived into thinking she would serve as the nursery maid of her employers, only to find her job harsher, more menial and often humiliating. Black Girl adopts ‘the grass isn’t always green on the other side’ approach, for Sembène sought to warn his fellow Senegalese that emigrating abroad brought toil they could not foresee. However, most African countries post-independence continue to struggle with inept governments unable to support enterprise thus forcing inhabitants to seek a future elsewhere. Black Girl presents a double-edged sword, one many grappled with during the 20th century.
What does Black Girl tell us about opportunities in African countries today? Though Black Girl was released in 1966, there is still similar drive for inhabitants of African countries to seek a future in the so-called Western World. It is no secret that gaining a degree in a university in Africa, regardless of how prestigious, is less likely to get you a job in countries such as the United States. Is this as a direct result of poor investment into educational systems or ignorant perceptions regarding the quality of education? Millennial students growing up in African countries are still far more likely to seek degrees abroad and thus practice abroad to maximise their potential, leading to ‘brain drain’. With the rise in digital entrepreneurship and social media, greater opportunities exist for better futures. Unfortunately some African countries are failing to realise this, notably Uganda who in early 2018 introduced a tax on social media.
Such charges inhibit the potential for social enterprise, thus having a negative impact on the ability for young people to excel and economy of the country as a whole. It is known that even African countries seek to employ those educated abroad than those of their own country, creating a toxic cycle of underdevelopment that serves to create stagnancy. Sembène was staunchly critical of governments in African countries post-independence, questioning their moral judgement when it came to governing dispelling post-independence hope.
There is plenty of room for optimism, with six African countries, including registering in the top 10 fastest growing economies in 2018 (via theatlas.com). Most African countries have endured tumultuous 20th centuries following independence, with political unrest and Coup d’état’s often grabbing the headlines. In context, Dakar of 1966 is nowhere near what it is today but the relevance of Black Girl still rings true. It merely serves as a reminder that the eyes of most still look toward the ‘West’ for opportunity.
Black Girl is another example of Sembène’s fabulous portfolio and classic African cinema, tackling post-colonial perceptions in ways that can reach people of all climbs. It also allows us to look at the present day, and see the same issues of opportunity resurface though improvements have occurred, this is still some way to go. For Diouana, her path is treacherous but she is only aware of such after prior belief in the better.