Borom Sarret
Directed by Ousmane Sembene
Written by Ousmane Sembene
1963/Senegal
First viewing/FilmStruck
[box] You can’t hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can’t hate Africa and not hate yourself. Malcolm X [/box]
The life of a poor cart driver is anything but uplifting but Ousmane Sembene gives us a priceless look at African urban life through his eyes.
This 20-minute film covers a day in the life of a man who ekes out a living driving a wagon in the “African” quarter of Dakar, Senegal. Most of his customers are even poorer than he. It will not be a profitable day.
In one way this is a continuation of the “bleak movie” theme running through 1963. But I found it pretty darned fascinating.
Montage of clips
