The directorial debut of acclaimed Senegalese author and filmmaker Ousmane Sembene (1923–2007) is about a young Senegalese woman, Diouna (Mbissine Thérèse Diop), who moves from Dakar to work for a white French couple.

Released six years after Senegalese independence and long before French films about ‘the immigrant experience’ became a genre, Black Girl explores what it means to be ‘post-colonial’ through the lens of a West African director whose life story was entangled with anti-colonial struggles and the challenges of post-colonial state-building. All films are in original languages with English subtitles.

This event is part of the ‘Decolonisation in Motion’ film season organised by University College at the Bodleian Library, 10 October-14 November 2023 www.univ.ox.ac.uk/news/decolonisation-in-motion

In addition to the film, there will be 30-45 minutes of presentation, discussion, and Q&A.