Description: Undoubtedly one of Africa's most influential first generation of writers and filmmakers, Ousmane Sembene's creative works of fiction as well as his films have been the subject of a considerable number of scholarly articles. This book examines this figure within the context of ...
Brief description: Dr David Murphy is a graduate of University College, Dublin and Trinity College, Dublin. He is currently a lecturer in military history and strategic studies at Maynooth University in Ireland. He has also lectured abroad at various institutions including the Dutch Military Academy, Breda, West Point Military Academy and the US Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth. David is a member of the Royal United Services Institute, and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Review Quotes:
"This collection of essays focuses on the intersection of culture and politics in the work of noted Senegalese writer and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène (1923-2007). As pointed out in the essays and confirmed in the interviews that close the collection, Sembène rejected 'art for art's sake' in favor of a body of work highly engaged with the cultural, political, and economic concerns newly independent Africa faced. Similarly, the essays highlight Sembène's rejection of Western cultural norms in favor of creating African art for African audiences, as signaled notably by his preference for the use of African languages in his art instead of French. Another recurring note throughout is the tension between Sembène and poet and cultural theorist Léopold Sédar Senghor (Senegal's first president), which resulted from Sembène's opposition to francophonie and rejection of negritude. Taken together, the essays form a coherent collection, and they are soundly researched. The interviews with Sembène's colleagues are especially interesting. A valuable resource for those interested in African cinema and literature. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty." --Choice Reviews
"This cogent volume, with its multi-faceted framework and interdisciplinary verve, is a valuable contribution to the scholarship on Ousmane Sembene's inimitable legacies. Highly accessible, it points students, scholars and the general readership towards a comprehensive re-engagement of his creative genius and its nuanced relationship to cultural dynamics and social critique." --Jude G. Akudinobi, University of California, Santa Barbara "With this groundbreaking collection of essays and interviews, Vetinde and Fofana have put together an essential volume for students and scholars of Ousmane Sembene. The volume soars well above other books on Sembene by featuring a smartly assembled cast of incisive scholars and former collaborators of Sembene, all of whom offer unprecedented insight into the literary and filmic work of Sembene. The astuteness and theoretical dexterity of the different essays ultimately turn this volume into a trenchant interdisciplinary analysis of governance, politics, development, identity, gender, and social transformation in postcolonial Africa." --Ayo A. Coly, Dartmouth College