Yeelen (Souleymane Cissé, 1987)

Issiaka Kane in Yeelen

Cast: Issiaka Kane, Aoua Sangare, Niamanto Sanogo, Balla Moussa Keita, Soumba Traore, Ismaila Sarr, Youssouf Tenin Cissé, Koke Sangare. Screenplay: Souleymane Cissé. Cinematography: Jean-Noël Ferragut, Jean-Michel Humeau. Production design: Kossa Mody Keita. Film editing: Dounama Coulibaly, Andrée Davanture, Jenny Frenck, Nathalie Goepfert, Seipati Keita, Marie-Catherine Miqueau, Seipati N'Xumalo. Music: Salif Keita, Michel Portal.

A fascinating but at times hard to follow fable set in the legendary past of Mali, Yeelen tells of a generational conflict focused on the somewhat Oedipal relationship of father and son. Niankora (Issiaka Kane) clashes with his father, Soma (Niamanto Sanogo), over the father's use of magic to enrich himself. When Soma dreams that his son will kill him, Niankora is forced to flee, aided by his mother (Soumba Traore) and stealing some of the father's magic totems. The film traces Niankora's odyssey as he's pursued by his father, leading to a final showdown. Some remarkable imagery adds to the universality of the story.