Moolaade

Moolaade' is an inspiring film made by Qusmane Sembene that takes place in Burkina Faso, South Africa, a traditional African village that carries on the long time traditions of it's culture. One of biggest traditions the village follows is the genital mutilation of females, which is a very dangerous procedure that may cause death. The film tells the story of a woman that lives in this village named Colle' Gallo Ardo Sy, the second of three wives of a respected man from the village. Out of the three wives she is her husband's favorite; she is intelligent, charming, and courageous. Colle' refused to have her teenage daughter, Amasatou, cut many years ago because she was afraid she would lose another daughter such as the first two she had. Her daughter is also engaged to a successful man, Ibrahima that is due to return from France. Although because her daughter has not been cut the village leaders have labeled her unfit to marry. While her husband is away, four little girls escape from the ceremonial mutilations in fear that they might die and go to Colle' for protection. She takes the four girls into her home and uses moolaade'(magical protection) to protect them from the female elders who carry out the mutilations. Because of Colle' actions the village leaders go into much dispute with her. The leaders demand that Colle' ends the moolaade and that the four girls and Colle's daughter should be cut. Colle's actions gain the attention of many of the female villagers and many decide to follow in her footsteps, protesting against the leaders. The village leaders react by taking away every woman's radio in the village in belief that the women are getting their crazy ideas from their radios. This action only leads to greater protest. When Amasatou's fiancé returns from France his father refuses he marries Amasatou because she has not been cut. Ibrahima explains to his father that he controls the decision of who he marries. When Colle's husband returns to the village his older brother forced him to whip Colle' in public for what she has done. After many brutal whippings Colle' manages to stay strong. While recovering from her wounds, one of the four girls she was protecting was taken by the elders and cut. The girl had died from the procedure and this lead to a major riot from the female villagers who followed Colle's movement and lead to changes in the village. The film ended with Amasatou vowing to her fiancé that she would never be cut and a fade away shot of a TV antenna.

The film had two major themes. The first major theme was that the film was a message about the tradition of female genital mutilation in South Africa and why it is bad. It expresses how it is a very dangerous procedure that can kill the young female participants and that it already has killed many. The main character of the film, Colle' was against the mutilations and refused to have her daughter cut and the four females who came to her for protection as well. The other major theme in the film was change. The village that they lived in was a very traditional South African village. They practiced traditional norms of their culture. Men were also dominant over the women. However, in he film the village was becoming more modernized. People owned TV and radios. Women in the film listened to their radios and were learning more about modern customs. Women were becoming more dominant or equal. By the end the women were definitely expressing dominance and their opinions were clearly heard. Women were driving away from the tradition of female genital mutilation. The successful character in the film, Ibrahima, expressed to his father that he will choose who he will marry. The film even closes with a close of a TV antenna, which further shows the change of this traditional African village into a more modern village.

I felt that Moolaade' was a great film, I really enjoyed watching it. I was touched by the story and the characters, especially Colle'. I felt the topic and the messages that the film sent were very important and that it expressed them very well. I also felt it presented the South African village lifestyle very well. I loved the direction and cinematography as well. Overall I felt it was a great film that many people should watch.