An adaptation of his 1973 novel, Ousmane Sembène’s uproarious Xala condemns the corruption and complicity of African leaders through the symbol of sexual impotence. On his wedding night, businessman El Hadji Abdoukader Beye (Thierno Leye) discovers that a curse of impotence (or “xala”) has been placed upon him. His attempts to remove the curse reach outrageous extremes, exceeding the effort he puts into being a man of integrity. Though Xala harkens back to the dark humor of Mandabi, it demonstrates the evolution of Sembène’s style by deriving its rhythm from a collective protagonist. Dislodged from El Hadji, the film cuts from mistreated wives to greedy subcontractors, then to galvanized peasants—and, as is characteristic of Sembène, from wide and medium to extreme close-ups. Enveloped in shades of blue and brown, Xala also stands out for its moments of playful self-reflexivity: Makhourédia Guèye from Mandabi plays the president of the chamber of commerce, who resembles President Léopold Senghor. The rooms of El Hadji’s children—decorated with a poster for La Noire de… and photographs of pan-African revolutionaries—resemble Sembène’s own office. After the Senegalese government cut twelve scenes from Xala, Sembène responded by distributing flyers indicating which scenes were removed.

ORDER TICKETS - JAN 19

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