PAULIN VIEYRA
PIONEER OF AFRICAN CINEMAS|| FILMMAKER, PRODUCER AND HISTORIAN
SCREENINGS
Free and open to the public.
Thursday, September 5
5:00-7:00 p.m. | Film Screening | IU Libraries Moving Image Archives Screening Room (Wells Library 048)
o Afrique sur Seine (1955, 21 min.), J.M. Kane, M. Sarr, P.S. Vieyra
This short film depicts African students in scenes of Paris, revealing the students’ questions about their identities, their culture and their futures. In voice-over a male character asks himself if Africa is just in Africa or if it is also on the banks of the Seine.
o Une nation est née [A Nation Is Born] (1961, 25 min.), P.S. Vieyra
Une nation est née depicts the progression of Senegal from colonization to sovereignty, shown allegorically through scenes of dance and celebrations of its newly-reclaimed independence.
o Lamb (1963, 18 min.), P.S. Vieyra
Selected in the short flm competition at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival, Lamb was honored again as a Cannes Classic in 2018. Called Lamb in Wolof, traditional wrestling similar to GrecoRoman wrestling is a prized national sport in Senegal. It has very particular and strict rules.
o Sindiely (1965, 16 min.), P.S. Vieyra
Sindiely tells the story of a greedy father wishing to marry his daughter to a successful fabric merchant, despite her love for another young man. The hostility of the family makes the father yield to his daughter’s wishes, allowing for the young couple to wed.
o Mol (1966, 27 min.), P.S. Vieyra
In Môl, a young fisherman dreams of motorizing his boat to make his work easier. His dream becomes reality, thanks to his courage and his determination but causes conflict between traditional values and the modern notion of progress.
Friday, September 6
11:00-1:00 p.m. | Film Screening | IU Libraries Moving Image Archives Screening Room (Wells Library 048)
En Residence Surveillée [Under House Arrest] (1981, 102 min.), P.S. Vieyra
En résidence surveillée is the only feature-length flm directed by Vieyra. An African state is faced with political and economic diffculties—In his doctoral thesis a young academic encourages a return to the sources of African cultural tradition while maintaining the gains of the West.
4:30-7:00 p.m. | Film Screenings | IU Libraries Moving Image Archives Screening Room (Wells Library 048)
o L’envers Du Décor [Behind the Scenes] (1981, 16 min.), P.S. Vieyra
L’envers du décor is a 25-minute color flm showing the making of Ceddo by Ousmane Sembène, one of the greatest Black African flmmakers.
o Ceddo (1977, 112 min.), Ousmane Sembène
Wolof. Ceddo (pronounced [ˈtʃɛd.do]), also known as The Outsiders, is a 1977 Senegalese drama film directed by Ousmane Sembène.
Afrique sur Seine, 1955 
Mol, 1966 
En Résidence Surveillé, 1981 
Lamb, 1963 
Sindiely, 1965
Photographer Cathy Chamorey made the wonderful image we used for our posters, seen below. It shows Paulin Vieyra in Paris in the editing room of a company founded by renowned film editor Andrée Avanture. At the time Vieyra was working on his feature En résidence surveillée in 1980.
This Black Film Center/Archive event is made possible through the support of the College Arts and Humanities Institute (CAHI), the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), the Department of French and Italian (FRIT), the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs (DEMA), the IU Libraries Moving Image Archive Screening Room, the Lilly Library and the African Studies Program (ASP) at Indiana University.
BFC/A Events This Past Semester
- Now – Oct. 4 | Rough & Unequal installation at the Grunwald Gallery
- Sept. 5 – 6 | Paulin Vieyra Screenings at the BFC/A and IULMIA
- Sept. 14 | Once Haunted film program with Crystal Z. Campbell and Madeleine Hunt Ehrlich at IU Cinema
- Sept. 18 | Nikyatu Jusu and Nuotama Bodomo Films at IULMIA
- Sept. 19 | Dr. TreaAndrea Russworm Public Talk in FF 312
- Sept. 23 | Jezebel screening with Numa Perrier at IU Cinema.
Sept. 24 | IU Cinema Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker Program with Numa Perrier - Sept. 27 – 28 | Rough & Unequal Symposium with Kevin Everson
- Oct. 7 | Jahmil X.T. Qubeka and François Verster at IU Cinema.
- Nov. 4 | Do the Right Thing screening at IU Cinema.
- Nov. 6 | Hyenas screening at IULMIA
- Nov. 8 | Babylon screening at IU Cinema.
Black Film Center/Archive, 1320 E. 10th Street Wells 044, Bloomington, IN, 47405 || bfca@indiana.edu
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