Ceddo (1977)

 

Ceddo

It is not every day I get to watch a Senegalese movie. In fact, I cannot remember having watched any before, like in ever at all. Had it not been for the List, a movie like “Ceddo”, like so many other movies on the List, would likely have flown under the radar for me. So, yeah, “Ceddo” is a first for me.

As usual when watching a movie from a culturally very different environment, there is a lot to take in here. Director Ousmane Sembene has made a beautiful film, colors are bright and sharp, sound is clear and the sets are stunning. Yet, to actually grasp what is going on is a challenge and without reading the summary in the Book and Wikipedia, I am not at all certain I would have understood what is going on. Even then, I probably missed a lot of essential elements. That is on me.

“Ceddo” takes place in some undefined past in Senegal. It depicts a microcosmos of Africa in the form of a (large?) village, ruled by a king. The traditional life is under threat. Europeans have set up shop selling guns and alcohol for slaves and a church, which remain in the background throughout the movie. An Imam has moved in and actively converts the locals to Islam, including the king. The warrior cast, the Ceddo with their amazing headgear, rebel against giving up their traditions. They see their influence and position under threat and so kidnap the king’s daughter, Princess Dior Yacine.

During a lengthy public and formalized council, we see how the king has completely set aside traditional rules and allegiances to the laws of Islam and in all things abide by the council of the Imam. The heir apparent is cast aside because he cannot inherent according to Muslim law (a claim on maternal side) and loyal favorites are sent out to bring back the princess. They fail. The Imam then stages a coup, kills the king and the Europeans and forcibly converts the village. What is a princess to do between her kidnappers and the usurping Imam?

This is a curious mix of hyper-naturalistic images of village life and scenery and stylized representation of African history. The latter feels formal and stiff while the former is easy and natural. The dialogue is the most challenging to follow with formal talk being done through intermediaries in third person and with cultural references that are at best alien to me. Since these give the reasoning and explanations for the actual story, and to a large extent is the actual story, missing part of this caused me some confusion. Although it is very much to the point, the form made these scenes feel lengthy.

It is clear to me though that the story represents the struggle in Africa against all these outside influences to preserve a cultural identity, be it against the western or the eastern pressure. It also shows how rich and yet how fragile and defenseless the indigenous culture is against both the sneaking undermining from the west and the aggressive top-down oppression from the east. Which could just as well have been the other way round. The story is placed in that undefined past in a village setting, but as a universal story it applies everywhere in Africa and just as much in 1977 or even today. It is this universal relevance that makes “Ceddo” a movie worth watching far outside its cultural context today. That it is also technically adept and beautiful is just a bonus.

I probably got less out of “Ceddo” than most and had moments where I was losing patience with the movie, and yet it comes out on the plus-side with a recommendation from me. This is not a movie you get to see every day.