In Burkina Faso, during the filming of Moolaade in 2002
Sembène’s final film Moolaade, shot in 2002 and a winner of an award at Cannes in 2004, represents a culmination of his 50-year career. Inspired by real-life events, Moolaade tells the story of Colle Ardo, a woman who protects young girls fleeing an excision ceremony, known in the west as female genital mutilation. Sembène recognised the women who resisted the practice as the kinds of heroes Africa desperately needed. ‘This is not a story about excision,’ Sembène said. ‘It’s a story about freedom.’
Photograph: Sembene Estate
