Retelling Resistance: CEDDO (1977) - 35mm Theatrical Screening

Details:

CEDDO

Ousmane Sembène, 1977, 120 min, 35mm

Few cultural figures can claim the influence of Ousmane Sembène, who revolutionized African film and literature in the twentieth century. Ceddo, perhaps his grandest cinematic work, utilizes fantasy, historical reconstruction, and orality to stage a powerful political allegory that explores the effects of colonialism in Senegal’s past and present. Set in an unnamed pre-colonial village in seventeenth-century West Africa, the film follows the conflict that arises when the King’s new Imam attempts to forcibly convert the ceddo (common people) to religious and political practices of Islam. Compressing centuries of historical events into a matter of days, Ceddo embodies the ongoing West African resistance against cultural incursion and colonial exploitation, pointedly emphasizing the salient role of women in the struggle. Presented in a rare 35mm print!

Ceddo is made available courtesy of Janus Films

About the series:

Retelling Resistance

Inspired by the exhibition "Who Says, Who Shows, What Counts: Thinking About History with the Block’s Collection", this film series explores the intersection of historical memory and radical imagination. The films in Retelling Resistance revisit early episodes in the struggle against colonial and cultural imperialism, from the first revolts against the Spanish administration in Cuba to the Haïtian Revolution. These filmmakers embrace anachronism over historical accuracy, collapsing the past and the present to invoke a revolutionary spirit that endures across centuries. Including rarely-screened landmarks of Third Cinema alongside daring new experiments in collective filmmaking, Retelling Resistance invites us to expand our conceptions of history, and to contemplate the struggles for justice and independence we still confront today.

Health and Safety Guidelines

Northwestern is closely monitoring developments related to the coronavirus pandemic and will follow local, state, and University guidelines for in-person events and museum visitation. All visitors must follow the Northwestern University COVID-19 Guidelines, which are in place at the time of visitation, including masking within the galleries and auditorium.

We plan for this program to be offered in person. Should public health or Northwestern campus guidelines evolve, we will contact guests about online presentation or cancelation.

Contact The Block Museum of Art for more information: (847) 491-4000 or email us at block-museum@northwestern.edu