Yeelen
aka Brightness First screened in February 2004 / Most recently screened in April 2012
Director: Souleymane Cissé. Cast: Issiaka Kane, Niamanto Sanogo, Aoua Sangare, Balla Moussa Keita, Soumba Traore, Koke Sangare, Ismaila Sarr, Youssof Tenin Cissé. Screenplay: Souleymane Cissé. Twitter Capsule:
Odd blend of Africa for Export and defiant opacity, for better (mostly) and worse. Rhythms entrance. Iffy gender codes.
VOR:④
Given perennially sorry state of African movie distribution in the US, why skip any, much less an ambitious, gorgeous filming of myth? Mysterious in ways Troy-type stuff never is.
