In this frank documentary, the life and legacy of Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène gets the attention it deserves. By no means a sugarcoated portrayal – Sembène’s foibles and misdemeanours are notable – this is a portrait of a fascinating character with a singular artistic vision. Self-taught novelist and filmmaker Sembène made nine features over a 37-year career, along the way galvanising a generation of Senegalese filmmakers who utilised the screen to forge a post-colonial identity, spreading unconventional, surrealist narratives that were inextricably tied to the country’s socio-political history.

This documentary offers a fantastic insight to the history of African cinema as well as the relevance and significance of the narrators of political and social issues in post-colonial Africa.

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