CARNIVAL IN THE SAHEL
France, Cape Verde | 1979 | 28 min | col. | o.v. French, Portuguese
Sarah Maldoror returned to Cape Verde to capture the carnival in Mindelo, where popular culture comes alive through masks, sounds, and dances. But this is not just about folklore: it’s a political act. The director observes without trespassing, letting the joy speak for itself. Each painted face, each glaring gown, each drum becomes an affirmation of identity. In spite of the lack of commentary, the film says a lot: the carnival becomes the symbol of a society reinventing itself, transforming the celebration into fighting and art into memory. Maldoror sings of a freedom that can be joyful, collective, and well-grounded. (L.F.)
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: 04 Nov 2025
- Time: 10:30
Location
- Cinema Astra - Piazza Cesare Beccaria, 9 50121 Florence (FI)
Organizer
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Sarah Maldoror
Sarah Maldoror (1929–2020) was a French director, Pan-African by adoption, revolutionary voice, and the first female filmmaker in African cinema. She chronicled the wars of liberation in the former Portuguese colonies, with a particular focus on the role of women in the struggle. After founding the first theater company of black actors in France, Les Griots, in 1956, she was assistant director to Pontecorvo for The Battle of Algiers in 1966, and then to William Klein for Festival panafricain d'Alger (1969). Her first feature film was also the first ever made by an African female director: Sambizanga (1972). Her other major works include her debut short film Monangambééé (1969), Aimé Césaire, un homme une terre (1976), Aimé Césaire – Le Masque des mots (1987), Portrait de Assia Djebar (1989), and Léon G. Damas (1994).
