Djibril Diop Mambéty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Djibril Diop Mambéty
Born	January 23, 1945 Colobane, Dakar, Senegal
Died	July 23, 1998(1998-07-23) (aged 53) Paris, France
Nationality	Senegalese
Occupation	film director, actor, orator, composer and poet.
Notable work	Touki Bouki
Relatives	Wasis Diop Mati Diop

Djibril Diop Mambéty (born January 1945 – died July 23, 1998) was a talented film director, actor, and artist from Senegal. Even though he made only a few films, they were praised around the world. People loved his unique and experimental filmmaking style, which often told stories in a non-traditional way.

Mambéty was born into a Muslim family near Dakar, the capital city of Senegal. He was from the Wolof ethnic group. He passed away in 1998 in a hospital in Paris, France.

About Djibril Diop Mambéty

Djibril Diop Mambéty was born in Colobane, Senegal. This town near Dakar appeared in some of his movies. His father was a Muslim religious leader.

Mambéty first became interested in movies through theater. He went to acting school in Senegal. After graduating, he worked as a stage actor in Dakar. However, he was later asked to leave for not following the rules.

In 1969, when he was 23, Mambéty directed his first short film. It was called Contras' City (City of Contrasts). He didn't have any special training in filmmaking. The next year, he made another short film, Badou Boy. This film won an award at a film festival in Tunisia.

Mambéty's first full-length movie, Touki Bouki (1973), was very detailed and full of symbols. It won awards at the Cannes Film Festival and the Moscow Film Festival. This brought him international attention. Even with this success, he didn't make another full-length movie for almost 20 years. During this time, he made one short film in 1989, Parlons Grandmère (Let's talk Grandmother).

Hyènes (1992) was Mambéty's second and last full-length movie. It was based on a play called The Visit. He saw it as a continuation of his earlier film, Touki Bouki. Before he passed away, Mambéty was working on a series of three short films. This series was called Contes des Petites Gens (Tales of the Little People). The first film in this series was Le Franc (1994). He was editing the second film, La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil (The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun), when he died. This film was shown after his death in 1999.

Djibril Diop Mambéty died on July 23, 1998, at age 53. A documentary film about him, Mambéty For Ever, was released in 2008.

His Films

Contras'city

Djibril Diop Mambéty's first short film, Contras'city (1968), showed the big differences in Dakar. It highlighted the fancy buildings against the simple lives of the people. Mambéty often explored how old African traditions and new Western ideas mixed together. This theme was already clear in Contras'city, which is known as Africa's first comedy film.

Badou Boy

In 1970, Mambéty released his next short film, Badou Boy. This film also looked at Senegal's capital city in a funny way. It followed the adventures of a "street kid" who was a bit wild, like Mambéty himself. The film shows a free-spirited person going against a funny, over-the-top policeman. Badou Boy celebrates city life while making fun of the government.

Touki Bouki

Many people think Touki Bouki (The Hyena's Journey) is Mambéty's most important film. In this full-length movie, he explored his themes of mixed cultures and feeling alone even more deeply. Mambéty wrote the story and script himself. He made Touki Bouki with a small budget.

The film has a fast and exciting rhythm, which was different from many African films at the time. It uses quick cuts and different sounds to show how Senegal was blending old and new ideas. The story is about two young lovers, Mory and Anta. They dream of leaving Dakar for a romanticized France. The film follows them as they try to find money for their escape. Touki Bouki won awards at the Moscow and Cannes film festivals.

• Touki Bouki was ranked among the "100 Best Films Of World Cinema" by Empire magazine in 2010.

Hyènes

Hyènes (Hyenas) is an African version of a famous play called The Visit. It tells the story of Linguere Ramatou, a very rich old woman. She returns to her home village of Colobane. Linguere offers the people of Colobane a shocking deal. She will give them a lot of money if they kill Dramaan Drameh. He is a local shopkeeper who left her when she was young and pregnant.

This story of love and revenge also criticizes how some African countries rely too much on other nations. Mambéty once said, "We have sold our souls too cheaply. We are done for if we have traded our souls for money." Mambéty saw Hyènes as a continuation of Touki Bouki. He wanted to explore themes of power and madness further. Djibril Diop Mambéty's younger brother, Wasis Diop, created the music for the film.

Le Franc

Le Franc (1994) was the first film in Mambéty's unfinished series, Tales of Little People. This movie uses the French government's change to the CFA Franc currency to show how people come up with strange plans to survive. It's about a poor musician named Marigo. His musical instrument was taken away because he owed money. Marigo plays the lottery and wins, but then faces problems trying to get his prize. The film is both funny and symbolic of how luck can help some people and hurt others in the world economy.

La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil

La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil (The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun) was the second film in Mambéty's series. It celebrates the lives of ordinary Senegalese people. This 45-minute film shows a young girl named Sili. She uses crutches but confidently moves through the city. She avoids bullies and sells newspapers to earn money for herself and her blind grandmother.

Mambéty dedicated his last film to "the courage of street children". Sili, the main character, makes this a hopeful look at the struggles and potential of young, poor, and disabled people in Africa. Mambéty's brother, Wasis Diop, also composed the music for this film. The New York Times reviewer A.O. Scott called the film a "masterpiece of understated humanity."

Filmmaking Style and Themes

A common theme in Djibril Diop Mambéty's films is the idea of hybridity. This means the mixing of different cultures and ideas. Like many filmmakers of his time, Mambéty used movies to talk about social issues in Africa. His films often criticized neocolonialism, which is when powerful countries still influence former colonies.

Mambéty's style was often unique. He used surreal, fast-paced, and non-linear storytelling. This made him different from other African filmmakers who used more traditional, realistic stories. His films showed the many different parts of real life in Africa. He didn't just focus on African values versus Western ones. Instead, he explored the complex mix of old and new in Africa after it gained independence.

His films use many symbols and sounds from traditional Africa, modern Africa, and European culture. This shows the mixing of cultures. Mambéty's editing and storytelling style also combined old African storytelling traditions with modern art techniques. He wanted to use these mixed elements to create a new African culture. He aimed to "reinvent cinema."

Mambéty's films also often explored themes of power, wealth, and false beliefs. In his last full-length film, Hyènes, he suggested that Africans themselves were partly responsible for relying on Western countries. He believed that people were too focused on material things, which kept Africa dependent on foreign help. However, Mambéty's final films offered a message of hope. He celebrated the "little people" as the ones who would bring about a positive new Africa. He said that these marginalized people were "the only truly consistent, unaffected people in the world."

Filmography

Feature films

• Touki Bouki (also called The Journey of the Hyena) (1973)
• Hyènes (1992)

Short films

• Contras'city (1968)
• Badou Boy (1970)
• Parlons Grand-mère (Let's talk Grandmother) (1989)
• Le Franc (1994)
• La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil (1999)

Personal life

Mambéty was the older brother of musician Wasis Diop. He was also the uncle of actress and director Mati Diop, who is Wasis Diop's daughter. He was the father of Teemour Diop Mambety.

See also

In Spanish: Djibril Diop Mambéty para niños

• African cinema