Senegal/1977—Directed by Ousmane Sembène | 117 min.

Ceddo (loosely translated as “the feudal class” or “outsiders”) remains one of the most important films in the brilliant career of writer and director Ousmane Sembène (1923–2007), often referred to as the father of African cinema. This 1977 epic, set during a period of religious expansion in precolonial Senegal, is now available in a new 4K restoration created in honor of Sembène’s centennial year.

On the surface, Ceddo is a riveting political thriller about the kidnapping of a powerful princess. However, the deeper themes of Sembène’s masterpiece include philosophy, political opportunism, feminism, and two electrifying leaps across the centuries. In this, his most ambitious film, Sembène succeeds in evoking the full breadth of the African experience. In Wolof with English subtitles.

“One of Sembène’s supreme masterworks. A mighty cinematic achievement.” –Richard Brody, The New Yorker