Finzan
(A Dance for the Hero)  In
Finzan, Cheick Oumar Sissoko has skillfully crafted a film which
raises one of the most important issues of African rural life, the status
of women, in a style accessible to every villager. Finzan tells
the story of two women's rebellion. Nanyuma, a young widow defies her
brother-in-law, the village fool, when he asserts his traditional right
to "inherit" her. Fili, a young woman sent from the city by her conservative
father, is brutally "circumcised" by village women, scandalized by her
refusal to submit to this ancient ritual. Sissoko weaves these two stories
together into a painfully realistic picture of village society, tragically
unable to free itself from the past. Women and Gender Studies (Africa) Gender roles |
"A passionate
and convincing plea for the emancipation of African women." "Bracing, wholly
exhilarating... dedicated to the African woman." "An important
film -- an enriching discovery for any American audience." Director: Cheick
Oumar Sissoko Video
Purchase: $195
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