| Abstrakt: |
This introduction to the Special Focus section on the Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene argues that the fiftieth anniversary of Xala (1974) provides a timely opportunity to revisit and reengage with his work as a whole. This is due not only to the availability of new, digitally restored versions of Sembene's features like Xala, but also to the establishment of new archive collections of both Sembene and his longtime producer, Paulin Soumanou Vieyra. It is argued that the archive provides a springboard for fresh modes of critical enquiry that move beyond the standard framings and periodizations of Sembene and recapture his experimental drive and visionary energy. After outlining the main themes of the three contributions to the section, the introduction suggests further ways in which one might productively open up Sembene's work, including a focus on its documentary forms, greater acknowledgment of its complex formal and conceptual challenges, and a celebration of its aesthetic "imperfections" which elude the well-worn tropes and templates of engaged African cinema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
