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Moolaadé

Play trailer Poster for Moolaadé Released May 15, 2004 2h 4m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
99% Tomatometer 76 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
For fear of enduring genital mutilation, a group of girls flee their own "purification" ceremony and take refuge with Collé (Fatoumata Coulibaly), a woman who had spared her daughter from the same fate. Collé casts a spell to protect the girls, which causes much consternation among among the village elders. In retaliation, they confiscate all radios from the women villagers and demand that the spell be broken, but Collé nevertheless holds fast.
Moolaadé

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Critics Consensus

A vibrant, powerful, and poignant glimpse into the struggles of women in modern Africa.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody New Yorker One of the greatest of late films. Sep 7, 2023 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader This masterwork by Ousmane Sembene, the 81-year-old father of African cinema and one of Senegal's greatest novelists, is the second film in a trilogy celebrating African women. Oct 22, 2007 Full Review Kirk Honeycutt Hollywood Reporter Ousmane, who wrote and directs, gives strong flavors to his characterization of village life and its peoples. But as drama the film mostly serves to illustrate the two sides of this crucial social debate in Africa. Oct 30, 2006 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Moolaade took on systemic misogyny. Mar 4, 2024 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review With rich cultural texture and profound emotions, Moolaade is a tale of impassioned defiance and a celebration of female solidarity. Rated: 4/4 Feb 14, 2022 Full Review Tom Dawson The List Mooladé is a masterful work, which eloquently conveys the central conflict between tradition and modernity in our global economy. Rated: 4/5 Apr 26, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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William L The final film from highly regarded Senegalese author and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, Moolaadé continues his exploration of social change in the unique context of African culture. More than just a rant against the cruelty of certain traditional practices (here taking a particular stance against female genital mutilation, or 'purification' as it is referred to by its practitioners in the film), Sembène takes into account the unique confluence of factors affecting the changing interpretation of cultural norms in Africa as a whole, including the lingering effects of old colonialism (the character of Mercenaire), the changes brought about by religious intervention, and the rapidly developing influence of more economically advanced nations in a modern sense (France is referred to as an almost ethereal realm of money, but at times reviled by village traditionalists given the influence it has, eroding their authority). Above all, there is a line drawn between simplistic interpretations of foreign influence as a purely corrupting force in otherwise idyllic African socieities, and an inability to adapt in the face of a changing world for the sake of pure traditionalism. Certain aspects of the film are certainly not subtle, but to claim that Moolaadé is excessively simple or without relevance is certainly not true. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/13/21 Full Review Audience Member Very well made film with a complex and excellently well crafted narrative. We feel the struggle and the difficulty of fighting a well encroatched tradition. With little girls involved, the suspense is maintained throughout, more efficiently than any large budget feature. Knowing that these events were depicting something real and realistically, it is even more gut wrenching. The film expose well the problematic of societal changes, by which I mean the view points of all sides are well exposed and understood. The film was the base for increased discussions with the goal of eradicating the pratice. I hope this is accomplished now. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Beautifully filmed, dealing with a cruel subject, but doing this through graceful performances, this is an interesting movie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Best movie I've seen from Burkina Faso Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Every effort should be made to see Moolaadé, to see the turmoil of modern African women, and to absorb the accepting, upholding, stirring promise of filmmaking. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review alex k My Favorite Film Is 1941's Citizen Kane. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Moolaadé

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis For fear of enduring genital mutilation, a group of girls flee their own "purification" ceremony and take refuge with Collé (Fatoumata Coulibaly), a woman who had spared her daughter from the same fate. Collé casts a spell to protect the girls, which causes much consternation among among the village elders. In retaliation, they confiscate all radios from the women villagers and demand that the spell be broken, but Collé nevertheless holds fast.
Director
Ousmane Sembene
Screenwriter
Ousmane Sembene
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Bambara
Release Date (Theaters)
May 15, 2004, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Oct 15, 2004
Release Date (DVD)
May 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$214.6K
Runtime
2h 4m