Xalé

Xalé
Film poster
Directed byMoussa Sene Absa
Screenplay byMoussa Sene Absa
Pierre Magny
Ben Diogaye Beye
Starring
  • Nguissaly Barry
  • Ibrahima Mbaye Tché
  • Rokhaya Niang
  • Mabeye Diol
CinematographyAmath Niane
Edited byPape Mbengue
Music byHenri Guillabert
Freres Guissé
Production
company
Les Films du Continent
Release date
  • October 8, 2022 (2022-10-08) (BFI London Film Festival)
Running time
1h 41 mins
CountriesSenegal, Ivory Coast
LanguagesFrench and Wolof

Xalé is a 2022 Senegalese thriller film directed by Moussa Sene Absa.[1] It is the third film of the director's trilogy focused on women, following Tableau Ferraille (1995) and L'Extraordinaire destin de Madame Brouette (2002).[2] In October 2022, the Oscars selection committee of Senegal announced the film as the country's submission to the 95th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.[3][4]

Plot

Set in Dakar in a time-shifting chronology, the film follows the story of two 15-year-old twins Awa (Nguissaly Barry) and Adama (Mabeye Diol). Awa is focused on her academics while her brother, Adama, hopes to emigrate to Europe. Following the death of their grandmother, they are put in the charge of their uncle Atoumane (Ibrahima M’Baye).[5] In accordance with the grandmother's dying wish, Atoumane marries his resistant cousin Fatou (Rokhaya Niang). Her rejection of him prompts Atoumane to take out his frustration on Awa [6] with life-altering consequences for both of them.[7]

Cast

  • Nguissaly Barry as Awa
  • Mabeye Diol as Adama
  • Ibrahima M'Baye as Atoumane
  • Rokhaya Niang as Fatou

Release and screening

It premiered at the London Film Festival.[8] The film was also screened at Adelaide Film Festival[9] and Mill Valley Film Festival where it had its US premiere.[10]

References

  1. ^ staff2022-11-01T15:00:00+00:00, Screen. "Oscars 2023: Australia submits Sundance title 'You Won't Be Alone' starring Noomi Rapace". Screen. Retrieved 2022-11-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ ""In order to decolonise cinema, we must first decolonise ourselves…": An Interview with Moussa Sene Absa about XALE | Screen Worlds". screenworlds.org. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  3. ^ "Oscars International Race 2022: Full Entries List (Updating)". 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  4. ^ Sénégal, Au; Sénégal, le cœur du (2022-11-22). "Le long-métrage « Xalé » représente le Sénégal aux Oscars 2023". Au Sénégal, le cœur du Sénégal (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  5. ^ "Xalé". BFI London Film Festival 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-22.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ "XALÉ". Philadelphia Film Society. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  7. ^ Lodge, Guy (2022-10-26). "'Xalé' Review: Senegal's Oscar Submission Blends Universal Melodrama With Enticing Traditional Storytelling". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  8. ^ "Africiné - Xale [dir. Moussa Sene Absa]". Africiné (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  9. ^ "Xalé". Adelaide Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  10. ^ "XALÉ – Mill Valley Film Festival". www.mvff.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.