The Wind

The Wind (Finye)
Souleymane Cisse, Mali, 1982, Color, 100’

Two university students in love with each other find themselves in the middle of turbulent events. There is some fraudulency concerning the exam questions, this provokes big mass demonstrations, and when two lovers also get involved in political protests, they get into prison. This results in the confrontation of their families with opposing inclinations. One of the fathers is an administrator in the modern government, while the other is a tribal chieftain representing the rural area people perpetuating old mystical traditions. This film proved a landmark in the cinema history of West Africa. Particularly one scene in the village showing the relation with the ancestors’ spirits makes the film a forerunner in the transition from realistic social cinema to a new cinematic art based on the African traditional culture.

Carthage Film Festival Golden Tanit Award, 1982; FESPACO Film Festival, the Grand Prize, 1983; Cannes Film Festival, “Un Certain Regard”, 1982.