Film: Touki Bouki
Director: Djibril Diop Mambéty
Country: Senegal
Released: 1973
Runtime: 95 minutes
Genre: Road Movie
Studio: Studio Kankourama
Influenced: Abderrahmane Sissako, Souleymane Cissé, Scorsese, Alain Gomis, Wanuri Kahiu
Djibril Diop Mambéty's Touki Bouki, also known as The Hyena's Journey, is now widely considered as one of the landmark films of African cinema. The movie was conceived during a time of increasing artistic and political consciousness across Africa, with post-independence Senegal serving as the backdrop for Mambéty's exploration of themes such as freedom, identity and the cultural tension between tradition and modernity. The film was relatively low-budget and produced with minimal resources but, despite this, it packs a powerful punch thanks to its unique approach to storytelling and its innovative visual style.
The plot centres around two main characters, Mory (a cowherd) and Anta (a university student), young Senegalese lovers who dream of escaping their mundane rural lives to experience the glamorous possibilities of a new life in France. They fantasise about Paris, a city that they have never visited, but which in their minds promises a life of wealth, glamour and freedom. The song that plays during the Paris dream sequences is "Paris, Paris", performed by Josephine Baker, a prominent Black American entertainer who became a French citizen. The song, with its lyrics about the allure and romantic charm of Paris, underscores the characters' yearning for the city and the life they imagine it offers.
One of the most striking moments in the film is the iconic scene where Mory, riding a motorcycle with a large pair of bull horns attached, roams the city as an embodiment of raw, untamed vitality. This image, which featured on the film's posters, has come to symbolise the film's themes of freedom and rebellion. As the story develops, we follow Mory and Anta's attempts to gather the money necessary for their journey, including various petty thefts and scams. They eventually steal money from a wealthy gay man who has a crush on Mory, allowing them to buy tickets for a ship to France, but as the departure time approaches, Mory is struck with a sense of nostalgia and apprehension that leads to a critical decision.
Touki Bouki's ending is another iconic moment. Despite their initial determination to leave, Mory, haunted by the sounds of traditional African music, cannot bring himself to board the ship. He rushes back to his motorcycle, but it fails to start, and he is left stranded on the dock as the ship carrying Anta sails away. The open-ended climax leaves the audience contemplating Mory's fate. It's a film that defies conventional storytelling, with Mambéty opting to use flashbacks, fantasies and dream sequences to explore the psychological states of the characters and to delve into the contradictions of post-colonial Senegal.
The film was awarded the International Critics Award at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and, in 2008, it was listed by the World Cinema Foundation (now the African Film Heritage Project) as one of the 100 greatest films of all time. Mambéty’s work also influenced a new generation of African filmmakers, inspiring them to break away from traditional narrative forms and explore more daring and innovative styles of cinema. In particular, Touki Bouki has become a touchstone for understanding the cultural tensions inherent in an increasingly globalised world, making it still relevant today.
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