LITTLE SENEGAL

Algeria/Senegal, 2000, 97 minutes, Colour.
Sotigui Kouyate, Sharon Hope.
Directed by Rachid Bouchareb.

Little Senegal was made by the Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb. It focuses on an elderly tourist guide in the slave museum in Senegal. He decides to research his ancestry and discovers that he must go to South Carolina. After work in libraries and archives and visits to properties in South Carolina, he moves to the Little Senegal area in Harlem in New York. He stays with his nephew and his girlfriend. He also finds a young African wanting to get citizenship by marrying the telephonist at the taxi service. His investigations also help him to discover Ida Robinson, a distant cousin. She employs him in her little store near 126th Street and he helps her find her pregnant granddaughter. Love blossoms between the two. She does not understand him well and is not interested in her African background. There are various tragedies along the way and ultimately the old man decides to take the body of his murdered nephew back to Senegal. His search ends where it began but with memories of his American experience and discovery of his relations.

The film is very moving, especially with Sotigui Kouyate very dignified in the central role. Sharon Hope is very strong as the hardened grandmother.

The film raises issues of the African slaves, the transportation to the United States, their being bought at auction, being given new names, their work on the plantations, freedom and the transition to the north. The contrast between life of African Americans in New York City compared with that of Senegal is very strong.

1. The impact of the film? For Africans, for Americans, for other viewers? Particular themes, universal themes?

2. The African settings, the Senegal island and the slave prison? The tour and explanations of what happened in these prisons? The transportation? The contrast with Carolina, the quiet of the towns, the plantations, the libraries? The contrasts with New York City, the streets, the taxi services, work in the street? New Jersey? The musical score? The traditional music, the negro spirituals, the contemporary music?

3. The title and the focus on New York and the old man's experience there?

4. The character of Aloune: his work in Senegal, the painstaking research, the visits in South Carolina and his treatment by white people? Arrival in New York City, relationship with his nephew and with the girlfriend? Living simply in the home? His belief in family and relationships? His going to find Ida, following her, asking her for the job? His persistence? His work for her and her mellowing? The visit of Eileen, his helping Ida to find her, the visit to New Jersey, Eileen's father and his irresponsibility? The relationship between Aloune and Ida? Friendship, love, sexual? The reaction of his nephew? Finding Eileen in the store, bringing her home? Taking her to Hassan's and their looking after her? The irony of her leaving, her friends robbing them and Hassan going to confront them and being murdered? The consequences of Aloune's kindness? His shrewd observation of people, his support of Ida? The death of his nephew, the decision to take him home? The return to Senegal? Memories of New York City? His dreams and his sense of destiny?

5. Hassan and his work in the US, the cabs, fixing the cars, the criticism of the drivers and owners of the cars? His relationship with his girlfriend, not marrying? His brutality towards her? Her love for him, selling the bags on the streets, reaction against him? His worry about his uncle? His refusal to send a taxi when I was pregnant to give birth? His confronting the robbers and his murder? The grief at the funeral?

6. The African wanting citizenship, the relationship with the girl? Money and documents? The sexual encounters? At work? Her falling in love with him? The dependence on Hassan? The interactions, her suspicions? The funeral? His new proposal and the new beginning?

7. Ida, her experience, making a living in New York? Her own daughter and going into the cemetery? Eileen and her story? Her grandmother's concern, harshness? The visit to Little Senegal? Her friendship with Aloune, hard at first, getting him to watch the place? Gradually mellowing? New Jersey, the sexual relationship? His finding Eileen? The reconciliation? The birth, Eileen's unwillingness to hold the baby and the disasters? The decision to look after the baby? The departure of Aloune and her future?

8. Eileen, her story, on the streets, her relationship with her boyfriend, its leading to the pregnancy and her alienation? Her wanting everything her own way? Going to Hassan's place? Continued fights with her grandmother, the clash with Aloune? The water breaking, the birth of the child, her not wanting to hold it? Aloune's persuading her? Her going back to her boyfriend, this leading to the break-in?

9. The streets of New York, harshness, the gangs, violence and robbery, murders? The American heritage for the African Americans?

10. The importance of searching for one's ancestors and knowing one's ancestral story? The contrast with the African Americans and their history, and lack of it in their stories? The enrichment for African Americans of these kind of stories?