Xalé, a Senegalese film has finally graced SA big screens.
The film was chosen to officially open this year’s Joburg Film Festival which started on Wednesday. It is taking place at various venues in Johannesburg.
The screening was held at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton and attracted politicians and business people, including Gauteng MEC for human settlements and infrastructure development Lebogang Maile, minister of justice Ronald Lamola, actors Kay Sibiya, Nomzamo Mbatha, Connie Chiume, radio DJ T-bo Touch and artist Sipho Ngwenya aka Psyfo, graced the opening night.
Xalé follows the life of Awa, a 15-year-old African schoolgirl who is happily living her teenage years alongside her twin brother Adama when her dignity is taken away by her uncle.
The viewer is taken into a storyline of family values, love, life and betrayal.
While Awa is focusing on her studies, her twin brother Adama just dreams of Europe where he will work and dream of changing the family’s livelihood.
Adama drops out of school and he becomes a street vendor while raising funds to pay a businessman who smuggles migrants to France.
With their parents out of the picture, teenage twins Awa (played by Nguissaly Barry) and Adama (Mabeye Diol) are raised by their ailing grandmother, who eventually dies.
Just before her death, their grandmother drops a bombshell that her late brother wanted Awa’s aunt Fatou and her uncle Atoumane to marry to preserve the family union.
But Fatou refused to marry the villainous Atoumane and instead followed her heart, marrying her lover.
Before that Atoumane, the black sheep of the family, tried to force himself on Fatou but she fought back.
When he realised he lost out on Fatou, Atoumane assaults Awa sexually and he is banished from the village for 10 years.
While away, Awa discovers that she is pregnant with Atoumane’s child and refuses to abort.
The story begins at a house with a young lady dressing up for the night. She heads to the club and spots a middle-aged man sitting at the bar.
She buys him an expensive whisky and seduces him while dancing on the dance floor.
After giving him alcohol, she lures the stoned old man into a place under the pretence that he will get sex.
The woman then pulls out a knife and starts stabbing the man until he dies.
Xalé takes an easy and straight forward approach while it deals with women's struggles in Africa.
The story is set in a poverty-stricken area in Dakar with no visible place of employment except seeing people selling different products to survive.
The story is complemented by beautiful themed Senegalese music.
Film director Moussa Sène Absa says: “I am always pleased to be in SA. The last time I was here was years ago when I attended Sithengi Festival. I am very happy see other filmmakers that I have known for a long time.
“This film is very special to me because this is the third part of my theology about women destiny.
“For me, storytelling is like poetry. Storytelling is about our identity, our footprint and this is what makes us human. In this film I worked with a lot of talented actors who assisted me to bring the story to life.”
Lead actor Nguissaly Barry says she enjoyed working with Moussa.
“He always put women on the podium and highlights their issues. I am happy to work with him because this time I was not only acting but I was behind the camera also assisting in directing.”
bambalelep@sowetan.co.za
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