From our vantage in the US today, we’re not just unaware of the history of african film, we’re unequipped — it’s hard to find documents that go beyond the surface level facts, and in many cases, even the films themselves have only recently been restored and widely released. Ousmane Sembène later in life said that even he did not know where many of his film’s original prints or negatives were. Would we be watching this film for the pod today if not for a restoration by the Scorsese-led World Cinema Project and a home release by Criterion?

It’s also hard to gauge the immediate impact of Sembène’s Black Girl, a film that breaks new ground in a way that few films ever have, because it may have screened mostly to relatively privileged audiences. Large portions of Senegal then could not understand French or read subtitles. What we do know is that it inspired filmmakers and intellectuals in Africa and abroad; Sembène’s acolytes are innumerable. This episode, we talk about the political conditions that brought african perspectives to the screen for the first time, and we talk through questions of intended audience and historical significance as a way of understanding the role cinema has in our lives.

Next week: Eddington (2025) by Ari Aster

UnauthorizedPod.com for more. Hosted by Zachary Domes and J Brooks Young. Music by hetchy