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Moolaadé

The 21st Century’s 100 greatest films (BBC)

Moolaadé

2004

Ousmane Sembene

Maimouna Hélène Diarra, Fatoumata Coulibaly, Salimata Traore, Dominique T. Zeida ...

7.3

1,532

Drama Set in a village in Burkina Faso, his latest film tackles the subject of female genital mutilation, but its political resonance is hardly limited to the parts of Africa where that custom is practiced. Colle (Fatoumata Coulibaly), the tough-minded second wife of a village elder, offers protection to four young girls who have fled the knives and starts a revolution.

	Author	Review
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"To skip 'Moolaade' would be to miss an opportunity to experience the embracing, affirming, world-changing potential of humanist cinema at its finest. (...) a masterpiece"	POS
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"A film of beauty, humor, and a deep affection for human nature. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly	"This great work of art has the potential to change the world".	POS
United States	Ed Gonzalez Slant	"Every shot in 'Moolaadé' has a strong visual point of center from which the film’s spiritual essence spills (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United Kingdom	David Parkinson Empire	"Poetic, provocative and unstoppably powerful. But, depressingly, it probably won't change a thing (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"There's a very hard punch in Ousmane Sembène's film, despite its unshowy style and walking-pace narrative (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Keith Phipps AV Club	"A film as notable for its vibrant portrait of rural African life and universal resonance as for its political potency."	POS

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