Memo from the World
Helen, as Seen through African Dust

by Edie Ellis

[This film was presented as part of the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Sixth African Film Festival.]

Mossane

Directed by: Safi Faye, 1996
Senegal, 105 minutes, Wolof with English subtitles
Featuring Magou Seck, Isseu Niang, Moustapha Yade, Abou Camara, Alioune Konare, Alpha Diouf

"When the earth no longer feeds the people, morality is dead." - Fara

Although Mossane is based on an African myth, it could easily have been set in Greece. Mossane is a woman of tremendous beauty who, like Helen, drives men wild. It is the hope of her family that Mossane's beauty will bring good luck in the form of material possessions at a time when drought is wreaking havoc. That's a bit of pressure on our young heroine.

It is African storytelling set at an African pace with African light streaming through African dust. It's also a musical, with a little Cinderella and Fiddler on the Roof thrown in. Mossane's story is infused with the ritual and superstition of an ancient culture, yet it's a story that could be set in any time. The cast of characters includes an overdramatic mother, an out-of-touch father, a best friend who sneaks around with magazines from Europe, the doctor, who is also therapist and mystic, and of course, Fara, the student.

Image, courtesy of African Film Festival, Inc.

Fara's love for Mossane is pure, but, alas, he is poor. Mossane has been promised at birth to man she does not know. She is fourteen years old, and he is ready to claim her. Up until this point, she has been the "good girl," always doing what was expected of her. She and Fara interrupt the rhythm of the village with their boldness. Mossane, like all teenagers, just wants her family to listen to her.

Mother Nature seems to tell the same stories over and over. Perhaps one day we will listen.

About the Author:

Edie Ellis is a singer, photographer, and movie fan who did not complete her film studies at the College of Santa Fe.

Resources:

Information about this and other film festivals at Lincoln Center is available at: http://www. filmlinc.com/wrt/programs/5-2000/africa/africa.htm