Banel and Adama are young adults in their late teens who live in a remote village in northern Senegal. Adama is quiet and introverted, while Banel is passionate and rebellious. Adama and Banel fall in love and decide to live separately from their families so that they can live together. When Adama refuses to fulfil his birthright to serve as the village's future leader, chaos ensues in the community.[5][6]
Cast
Khady Mane as Banel
Mamadou Diallo as Adama
Binta Racine Sy
Moussa Sow
Ndiabel Diallo
Oumar Samba Dia
Amadou Ndiaye
Production
Banel & Adama is Ramata-Toulaye Sy's first feature film. The cast, composed of non-professional actors, performs in Pulaaarr, a variant of the Fula language. The film was shot on location in northern Senegal between May and June 2022.[5][6]
Banel & Adama was produced by Eric Névé and Maud Leclair from La Chauve-Souris, and Margaux Juvenal from Take Shelter.[6]
The film was distributed in France by Tandem on 30 August 2023.[6]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 94% with an average rating of 6.6/10, based on 16 reviews.[9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[10]