Name: Borom sarret
Genre: Short, Drama
Duration: 20 min
Rating: 7.2
Cast: Ly Abdoulay, Albourah

In 1963 director Ousmane Sembene made this short (20 min), in 1966 followed by the feature length "Black girl" (65 min). "Black girl" is about discrimination, "Borom sarret" is about poverty. It is a kind of African Loach.

We meet a carter in Dakar who has mostly non paying clients. Some are too poor to pay, others are too lousy to pay. One of the last kind is a sharp dressed black man who wants a ride to the genteel district of the city.

The film is socially concious with comical undertones. It are the clients of the carter who keep the film lively, just as in "Night on earth" (1991, Jim Jarmusch).

Funny is the way the film makes use of music. Scenes in the poor part of town are accompanied by African music, scenes in the rich part of town are accompanied by European classical music. At the end of the film the carter concludes he feels more comfortable in his poor part of town.

Ousmane Sembene (1923 - 2007) is one of the most famous African filmdirectors and is sometimes called "the father of African film". The question if "Borom sarret" (1963) is the first African film made by someone from Africa or that this honor belongs to "Song of Khartoum" (1955, Gadalla Gubara) is rather irrelevant in this respect.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Boron Sarret is arguably the first film made by a black African. It illustrates poverty in Senegal, particularly for the working man.

Ly Abdoulay and Albourah in Borom sarret (1963)

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Borom sarret

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