To complement our live panel: Linguistic Landscapes: Francophone African Literature, we present a few essential African films in French, a list that barely scratches the surface of this rich cinematic tradition.

Borom Sarret (1963) from Senegalese filmmaker Sembène Ousman (1923-2007), known as "The Father of African Cinema." This is considered "the first African film to be made by a black African" (AFSF). In this gorgeous but heartbreaking film short film, the protagonist drives his horse-drawn wagon through Senegal picking up fares, from the "native quarter" to the modernized Albourah, where wagons are not allowed...

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/mshu7uay

Watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U59BefqjjtE

Photo Credit: IMDB

Black Girl (1966) also written and directed by Sembène Ousman, his first feature-length film, is a classic not only in African film but in cinema in general and is to be found on the syllabus of any intro to film studies course worth its salt. It stars Senegalese textile artist Mbissine Thérèse Diop as Diouana, who moves from Senegal to France for a nanny job. 

Watch it: https://www.criterionchannel.com/black-girl 

Photo credit: CineMaterial, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58386868

The Battle of Algiers (1966) is another classic, certainly a must-see film in the Francophone African film oeuvre. Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, this docudrama type film was shot on location in Algeria. Set between 1954 and 1957 during the Algerian war, it stars Brahim Hadjadj as the revolutionary Ali Ammar.

Watch it: https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/the-battle-of-algiers 

Chocolat (1988), directed by Claire Denis, who grew up in colonial French Africa, is set in Camaroon and explores an interracial relationship. 

Watch it: https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/chocolat

Photo Credit: IMDB

Dakan (1997), Mohamed Camara’s career-ending film, now considered a classic, created quite the scandal when it was released. Set in Guinea, it is often touted as West Africa’s first film to feature gay male protagonists and depict their struggles in a deeply homophobic society. 

Read more: https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/dakan-mohamed-camara

Watch it: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/dakan

Photo credit: By http://www.bobtheque.fr/?module=flm_lst_detail&flm_id=5552, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16766478

Before Seriana (2024). A 19-minute experimental film directed Samy Benammar, set in the Aurès region of Algeria. 

Watch: https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/before-seriana

Letter From My Village (1976), directed by Senegalese director and ethnologist Safi Faye (1943-2023), is said to be the first commercially distributed film directed by an African woman. 

More films by Safi Faye: https://mubi.com/en/cast/safi-faye

Watch: https://mubi.com/en/us/films/letter-from-my-village

Photo credit: IMDB

War Witch (Rebelle) (2013), directed by Canadian filmmaker Kim Nguyen, was filmed primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is about a female child soldier forced to fight in a civil war, and who her captors come to believe has supernatural powers.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_v4nv5jac

Photo credit: IMDB

True Chronicles of the Blida Joinville Psychiatric Hospital in the Last Century, when Dr Frantz Fanon Was Head of the Fifth Ward between 1953 and 1956 (2024). This docudrama directed by Abdenour Zahzah and shot on location at the Blida Joinville Psychiatric Hospital in Blida, Algeria offers a glimpse into the pre-revolutionary formative years of Frantz Fannon.

Watch: https://tinyurl.com/4cwpu3bv

A Screaming Man (2010), directed by Mahamat Saleh Haroun and set in Chad in 2006 during the Chadian Civil War is a father-son drama examining the culture of war.

Watch: https://www.netflix.com/title/70139523 

Photo Credit: By kelfilm.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28784883

Kokoa (2001), directed by celebrated Nigerian filmmaker Moustapha Alassane (1942-2105), this short puppet film presents a wrestling match in Toad Village.

Read more: https://www.lecinemaclub.com/archives/kokoa/

Watch: https://www.criterionchannel.com/kokoa/videos/kokoa

Bon Voyage, Sim (1966) offers more froggy fun/political satire from Moustapha Alassane, this time featuring hand-drawn animation.

Watch: https://www.criterionchannel.com/bon-voyage-sim/videos/bon-voyage-sim

Film credit: IMDB

Atlantics (2019) directed by French filmmaker and actress Mati Diop, this supernatural migration story about class struggle begins in Dakar on the Atlantic coast.

Watch: https://www.netflix.com/title/81082007