"Une si longue lettre": le succès d'Angèle Diabang qui éclipse Hollywood
When she embarked 12 years ago on the adaptation of one of the most famous novels in West Africa about the fate of a Senegalese wife, director Angèle Diabang was far from imagining that her film would dethrone American blockbusters in Senegal.
Without special effects or Hollywood stars, his film "Such a Long Letter," released in July, has been a hit in Dakar in recent months, even eclipsing productions like "Jurassic World: Rebirth" with American star Scarlett Johansson, "F1" and "Superman."
"Such a Long Letter," a major epistolary novel published in 1979 by Senegalese author Mariama Bâ, tells the story of Ramatoulaye Fall, caught off guard and disturbed when her husband takes a second, younger wife. The novelist was one of the first to describe with such acuity and empathy the condition of women and their challenges in Senegalese and West African society at the time.
In a series of letters to a friend, Aïssatou, Ramatoulaye reflects on her life's journey, in a story that addresses life alongside a polygamous husband, sisterhood, female emancipation, and the conflict between tradition and modernity.
The work, which has remained very famous in Senegal, is included in the curriculum at college and university.
For a French-language film dealing with these subjects, its success was not guaranteed.
At the Pathé cinema in Dakar, where it made its debut, the film remained at the top of the box office throughout July and August, and was still drawing crowds in early September.
In Africa, where many countries generally have only a few cinemas showing new releases, this feat is far from anecdotal.
In Senegal, which has about five such cinemas, all located in the capital, "Such a Long Letter" was screened in two of the largest.
The fact that the film was able to beat multi-million dollar franchises with Senegalese audiences was "a wonderful surprise," said Angèle Diabang, 46, who spoke to AFP in her office in Dakar.
This proves that "a film whose content is entirely Senegalese - African - can really attract so many viewers and even succeed against American blockbusters, despite completely different budgets," says the Senegalese director.
The film is now showing in 16 cinemas across French-speaking Africa, a significant number given the limited number of available venues.
During its first screenings in Ivory Coast and Guinea in late August, it sold out, attracting enthusiastic crowds.
In total, it attracted thousands of viewers in Senegal and the surrounding region. On social media, viewers dissected the film, even asking where the characters' outfits could be purchased.
So, Adji Ndimo left awestruck after a screening at the Pathé cinema. For this 29-year-old administrative manager, "it's the film of the summer."
"Everyone comes to watch it. We talk about it on social media, we also see the poster on billboards all over Dakar," she says.
While most African films debut at major European festivals, Ms. Diabang's film was first shown at a New York festival and at the pan-African Fespaco festival in Burkina Faso.
Unable to find a distributor in France, she turned to a Senegalese company and opted for a local release.
"We said we'll try to make it work in Senegal. It won't work in France, it won't work in the world, it might not work in Africa. But in Senegal, if it works, we'll have won everything," explains Ms. Diabang, who has produced and directed around twenty films.
After its regional success, his new goal is to see it released in France and beyond.
According to many fans, the film's appeal lies in the enduring nature of its central themes. Polygamy, for example, is widespread in Senegal, where President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko each have two wives.
But there are also other themes like friendship, married life, how to build a strong nation that attract the audience, explains the director.
Nadia Nourdini, a 26-year-old spectator from Cameroon, said she was most struck by the "faithful, sincere and loyal" friendship between Ramatoulaye and her friend Aïssatou.
The enthusiasm for the film can also be explained by the public's attachment to the book itself.
"They are transferring their love for the novel into the film," says Ms. Diabang. "That's why I didn't give up," despite the 12 years it took to make.
"I knew there would be this emotion, people are attached to the book, are attached to several themes that are in the film and which are important," she says with conviction.
Commentaires (21)
Le cinéma, c'est une industrie, avec beaucoup de gens qui travaillent autour. Un film comme ca, c'est un centaine de personnes, au moins.
Toutes mes félicitations à Angèle. Moi j'ai lu ce livre plusieurs fois ,il est magnifique. Le voir adapté au cinema, valorise notre patrimoine culturel national. J'ai prévu d'aller voir ce film mais aussi l'autre film sénégalais que j'ai vu à Pathé, Valdiodio.
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter ou TikTok pour l'afficher automatiquement.