SAT SEP 16, 2023 1:00 PM XALA $8.00 (member) ; $13.00 (general admission) Los Feliz 3 | New 4K Restoration courtesy of Janus Films ‘Ousmane Sembène Centennial: An American Cinematheque Retrospective’ Checking Event Status... *This is an RSVP which means first come first served. This RSVP does not guarantee a seat. Not a Member? Join Today. Already a Member? Be sure you are logged in to your account. Your RSVP is being held for 1 minute, please select the quantity and fill out your contact info to complete the RSVP First Name Last Name Email Quantity Subscribe to our newsletter FINISH
ABOUT THE FILM: In French and Wolof with English subtitles. An adaptation of Ousmane Sembène’s own 1973 novel, XALA offers a hilarious, caustic satire of political corruption under an inept patriarchy. On the night of his wedding to a third bride, government official El Hadji Abdoukader Beye (Thierno Leye) is rendered impotent. After suspecting that one of his other wives has placed a curse (xala) on him, and after enlisting a local marabout for a cure, El Hadji must face the possibility that he deserves the infliction for his part in the embezzlement of public funds and for helping to keep Senegal in French hands. When even uglier reasons are revealed behind his loss of manhood, El Hadji endures a final ignominy from a group of disenfranchised citizens that he has conveniently overlooked. Adeptly combining elements from African folklore and popular cinema, Sembène uses XALA to indict the immoral hubris of entitled male authority figures and Senegalese sellouts. FORMAT: DCP DISTRIBUTOR: Janus Films COUNTRY: Senegal