X-Comedy: XALA (1975) by Sambene Ousmane

In 1973, Présence Africaine published Sambene Ousmane’s novel XALA. Two years later, it came out as a feature film. As an author and filmmaker who published 2 books with Présence Africaine almost 10 years ago, I can’t help but compare myself! (I know I shouldn’t, no need to lecture me.)

Well, at least I would’ve never greenlit something so illegible!

XALA is a good film. It’s a comedy that tackles the themes of:

Decolonization…

without addressing the role of women in the struggle for independence and African sovereignty

…Neocolonialism

The colonizers took their shoes with them, but left their hats and the busts of Marianne behind. As you can see, those are still on the steps. Sadly enough, the busts will not be smashed into pieces or burnt to ashes.

…the complicity of colonized people in neocolonialism

The fish rots from the head

Monsieur Dupont-Durand (funny name by the way) stays in the background. He no longer has a seat at the table, but he still pulls the strings through the money he puts into those briefcases. At the sight of the bribe, the Senegalese ministers have big smiles on their faces!

He plays nice with the Senegalese politicians, almost like a servant. But “COMPTOIR” (and I can only guess that it’s short for “COMPTOIR COLONIAL”, colonial trading post) in the background reminds you that he is still the colonizer in his colony.

…polygamy

Adja, El Hadji's first wife (Seune Samb on the left) never wanted a polygamous marriage. Oumi, his second wife (Younouss Seye on the right), was fine with it as long as she was the youngest. Now their old-ass husband is about to marry a third wife. Here are the sister wives waiting for the bride on the wedding day.

The beautiful bride looks so young I could throw up.

…the alienation of Black Africans putting on white masks

…the feminist values of younger generations

Rama (played by Myriam Niang) is El Hadj’s daughter (with the first wife). She wants her mom to get a divorce and she looks her dad in the eye when she says that every polygamous man is a liar. He slaps her in the face and tells her he is the boss in the house, and he saved the country from the colonizer and that polygamy is their cultural and religious heritage (basically that standing against it means being brainwashed by the colonizers). Need I mention that he’s paying for his third wife’s dowry with the bribery he received from Monsieur Dupont-Durand?

…the complicity of women in patriarchal violence

A mother preparing her very young daughter to a wedding night with her old husband she never even dated.

…and last but not least, the crux of the film, erectile dysfunction

Of course it has to be a curse cast by one of his wives, or any woman for that matter, the wicked gender.

Only a psychic or wizard can cure it. Also, erection equates manhood.

What’s the deal with laugh and demons? Do angels ever laugh?(And I’m not talking about babies, I’m talking about the fantasy creatures with wings in their backs.

Favorite scene

The teenage girl in the middle should call 911. Those uncles are hitting on her and complimenting her mouth. It is still my favorite scene though, a conversation between the two men and a woman who passes around refreshments.

“Comment on dit ‘weekend’ en anglais ?” - “Weekend, c’est weekend.”

And then she turns around, she makes her eyes all white, she has a scary laugh and she sticks her tongue out. You will miss it if you blink. What. The. Hell. Just. Happened? I love it. I love her.

Up next on my watchlist: A film that starts with Y and a last one that starts with Z. And then I can finally go back to watching TV shows and anime, and post about The Roncesvalles Quiet Book Club!