Free An African Memoir ‘Touki Bouki’ Essay Sample

A Senegalese drama film, Touki Bouki stands for ‘Journey of the Hyena’. It is a 95 minute film whose production was written and directed by Djibril Diop Mambety in 1973 share his real life story.

The story line is of two naïve lovers who are determined to bid the shanties of Dakar a farewell. A young shepherd, Mory, who hails from the village, comes to urban Dakar to seek for greener pastures. He owns a dilapidated motorcycle decorated with the skull of a Zebu and some kind of traditional fetish. Disillusioned by the poverty in his native land, this migrant belonging to Dakar pursues yet another ambition: The journey to Paris. He woos a university student called Anta to join him in his escapades. They hassle for money by engaging in theft to quell fragmentation and fulfill their dreams.

The Josephine Baker sound track, “Paris, Paris”, evokes the city’s goodies; the dreamland of the pair. This film boasts of an avant-garde quality. Unlike most African films typified by a chronological narrative, Touki Bouki features surreal moments where animals are slaughtered. The film displays discontinuous kinds of editing were several events are shown without any clear reason thus seeming illogic. Symbolic conversations drag another conversation to viewers and depict cultural identity verses new identity crisis in post-colonial Africa. For instance, homosexuality, a vice that was introduced in Africa by the colonial masters is seen when Mory double-crosses and robs a rich African homosexual.

In addition, this film displays colliding montage, visual styles, pastoral and modern sounds that characterizes a country caught between transitions from traditional life to contemporary living. African modernity is new development that many have had to settle scores with. The plot of this film illustrates how a ‘money-Paris-Desire’ mentality has infected many African youths.

 

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