Foreign Film Showing: Faat Kine

In French & Wolof with English Subtitles

This Senegalese drama is by Ousmane Sembène, regarded as the father of African cinema.

The Chevy Chase Library elevator is currently out of service and undergoing modernization replacement. This program is held in the downstairs meeting room, and it is only accessible by the stairs.

"In FAAT KINÉ, Ousmane Sembène, the unquestioned father of African cinema, calls his fellow Africans to a reckoning of the post-independence era at the beginning of a new century. At 77, he sums up 40 years of path-breaking filmmaking with a penetrating analysis of the interplay of gender, economics and power in today's Africa. Sembène accomplishes all this through the deceptively light domestic drama of Faat Kiné, a gas station operator born, significantly, the same year as Senegalese independence, 1960.

FAAT KINÉ is, from its first shot to its surprising last, Sembène's tribute to what he calls the "everyday heroism of African women." In the opening frame, a procession of traditionally dressed women wends its way majestically through the hectic heart of modern Dakar. Faat Kiné lets them pass and drives on as she carries their story into the present. Sembène has said: "Africa's society and economy are held together today by women. But how can women have these responsibilities and yet be denied the same privileges as men?"

Official Selection at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

"The welcome return of the master! He hasn’t missed a step and we’re lucky to have him back on his path." - The New York Times." - Kanopy

The film running time is 2 hours.

Join us for screenings of a variety of programs from around the world. All movies have English subtitles. Screenings begin at 1:45 pm, after a short introduction.  Plan to arrive at 1:30 to meet other attendees, and so as not to miss the film introduction. Tea will be served after the showing for conversation to continue. We will choose films from the Kanopy program, which can be accessed with a library card. Titles will be announced one month prior to showing.

Interested in other movies? The library has a large selection of DVD's that you can browse. From the link, you can search by language. For print materials, see the languages available in our World Languages collection.

This is a public performance rights (PPR) showing and is recommended for viewers 18 and older.

Library Program Attendance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program.

Learn more about the film content available with your library card by visiting the Kanopy website.

Don't have a card?  Find out how to Get a Library Card.

Location: Chevy Chase Library, Meeting Room (lower level)

Questions about this program? Contact the branch at 240-773-9590.

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

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