【African Month Special】 Xalé, (Senegal, 2022)

Rating: R16 – Festival Film – Not Rated.

May is "Africa Month" in Auckland, and this weekend we are diving right into some of the best films from the African continent.

Senegal is a small country in West Africa - and this film is a remarkable film with perceptive insights into a country that we virtually never hear anything about. Xalé won the Africa Movie Award for Best Film in 2023, so you can expect something special.

The word Xalé means child. The film follows the path of twin brother and sister, Adama and Awa, two Senegalese children who rapidly find themselves facing a very adult world. Awa is a young man with a dream, to get together the money to board a boat to Europe and a better life, while Adama is a typical young teen girl, balancing school, a part time hairdressing job and her first boyfriend.” (Adelaide film Festival)

Variety magazine wrote: “Xalé’s” right-on messaging and vibrant delivery — with a color palette led by the saturated textiles of traditional boubou dress — is likely to enchant many a curious arthouse patron who stumbles upon it".

One of the topics for our discussion afterwards will be the ways that stories are told. Watch for the highly innovative Afro-Greek chorus, reflecting back on ancient Greek traditions of story telling. Amazing!