Mandabi

Title: Mandabi

Director: Ousmane Sembène

Writer: Ousmane Sembène

Year: 1968

Running time: 92 minutes

Country: Senegal and France

Plot summary:

The film is about an unemployed African man, Ibrahima (Makhouredia Gueye), who lives with his two wives and kids. A nephew of his sends him a money order from France worth 25,000 Francs which he has saved from working as a street sweeper. He is to keep some of the money for himself, save a portion for his nephew, and give a portion to his sister. However, Ibrahima faces numerous difficulties with the Senegalese bureaucracy in trying to cash the money order. He deals with corruption, greed, problematic family members, the locals and the changing from his traditional way of living to a more modern one. The film explores themes of neocolonialism, religion, corruption, and relationships in Senegalese society.

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