"Djibril Diop Mambéty (1945 - 1998) has been described as an actor, orator, composer and poet, deservedly, besides a legendary African filmmaker and – thanks in part to his prénom – an "Angel." He was born near Dakar in Kolobane, Senegal. "All my films speak about the city I was born in," he’d once claim, "from the outskirts to the capital itself, because the road from your birthplace to the capital is always the path of a desire called emancipation." He studied theatre at first, working on the stage after graduating from acting school, before losing his job at the Daniel Sorano National Theatre and then teaching himself the "Seventh Art." Ultimately, he joins an amazing cinematic pantheon. After the late Pan-African greats Ousmane Sembène and Med Hondo, as well as Haile Gerima and Sarah Maldoror, this "Prince of Kolobane" came to innovate filmmaking for all Africa and the world with his signature mix of wild narrative style, rich traditional symbolism and virtuoso editing technique with impeccable political commitment." – Greg Thomas, Harvard Film Archive

Close-Up is proud to present Djibril Diop Mambéty's two features alongside his final shorts, all screened here in stunning new digital restorations.

Touki Bouki
Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973, 89 min
Wolof and French with English subtitles
FULL DETAILS

Hyènes
Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1992, 113 min
Wolof with English subtitles
FULL DETAILS

Le Franc
Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1994, 45 min
Wolof with English subtitles
FULL DETAILS

La Petite vendeuse de soleil
Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1999, 45 min
Wolof with English subtitles
FULL DETAILS

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With thanks to Silvia Silvia Voser of Waka Films and Pierre-Alain Meier of Thelma Film AG for making this programme possible.