As the story takes place in the city it depicts a picture of Africa, very different from the traditional native country. Using very lengthy camera pans of the city and the city life, Ousmane Sembene captures the active lifestyle of the people of Senegal. There is strong use of close ups of characters to create a sense of intimacy. Though there are many camera switches from character to character, the audience is kept enthralled by the intensity of the close up. The camera captures the emotions of each character with the use of intense camera close up and focus. Sembene uses a very modern technique of camera shots to incorporate objects as symbols, as the camera captures many still pictures of African leaders panned in Kiines's very extravagant home. This is a technique used to fuse the history of a male dominant society and the modern female empowerment in modern day Africa. The camera is used as a device to bring the audience into the experience of the characters, in particular Kiine and her childern's lives.
Though the use of camera and filming is a vital aspect of Faat Kine, it is a story of a young woman's struggle to find love and raise two successful students, whom are educated and very well spoken. She is a single mother and has two children by two different men, a curse in prior african traditions, but Kiine is able to survive and become successful despite her traditional shortcomings and eventually find love and with love she discovers trust and chivalry. As Kiine confronts her prior love interests, she sheds her past foils, she finds true love in the end. This is a symbol of old male patriarchal colonial tradition passing on and that is the beauty of Faat Kiine's struggle, she succeeds against the odds of political, traditional and economic strife to propel herself and her children into a better life.
5 comments:
Hi Bryan,
A lot of change in the post-colonial country of Senegal; the high-rise buildings, and the cars –oh my, all of the cars, the noise, the pollution and the traffic. The shots you refer to when the camera pans the city and the city-life was ever so revealing of the modernity today, as was the pan shot of the market scene – timeless really - binary opposite conditions right next door to one another – WOW! The close-up shots you discuss do indeed bring a sense of intimacy and of importance to a character. The many close ups of Kine in her car, and behind her desk at the gas station tell the viewer of the power this single mother has – they tell us she is a will-filled woman and a survivor. The fact that she alone has raised to now university-bound children is amazing! With renowned directors like Sembene willing to direct these honest films, and women like Kine truly taking power whenever possible or necessary, and the youth today supporting the power of women, Senegal’s recovery from corruption and colonialism may be possible sooner than one might have thought.
Bryan,
The social, political, and economical change in Kine's life and her surroundings defintely impact the level of emotion in understanding her life. She's busy in work, love, kids, and independence. Again the modernization is well explained with the shots of different scenes in widening out to get a feel of the industrial aspect of the city.
Thus the working theme which is so strong in Kine as a single mother/WOMAN in her time.
The different shots that show her power definetly stand out and we can see the power she holds as a worker, mother, and lover. The most important I think is the empahsis on her ability to progress as an independent woman just like the progression of time (post colonial).
Hey Bryan once again thank you so much letting me bombard your Faat Kine experience. I appreciate it greatly! I love the approach of camera technique you discuss. Looking back at the beginning of the film and the high camera angle that exposes Senegal’s city life, it is clearer that Ousmane was revealing Africa’s modernization. Displaying the active people, markets, cars, and the traffic signals all represents Africa’s industrialization. Let also agree upon the close up aspect of your blog which is mind blowing. I would have never connected intimacy with intense close ups. It makes sense because with close ups you can look into the character’s eyes and that ties into a more intimate understanding. The murals Kine has all over her house are always displayed through the angle of the camera. The many messages you discuss has made me reflect and connect Kine with the African leaders. They symbolize strength and having them plastered all over the house reveals Kine’s empowerment in the New Africa. Faat Kine has so many messages and Semben has a way of bringing the audience into the movie. Although this movie takes place in one town of Africa anyone can relate to this film.
Bryan,
You are so right about the intimacy created via the close up shots. I hadn't realized it, but the only true close-ups in the movie occur on characters we are meant to sympathize with. Thus we have close-ups of both the children, Kine, "Mommy", Jean and even the gas station helper at one point (I seem to remember this happening when he comes in to support Kine against one of the men by filling out a paper on her desk). However, there are no true close-ups of either of the children's fathers, nor of the woman who tries to pay with a counterfeit note. These shots always pull from at least the hips. Interesting how a simple close-up can deliver that kind of intimacy. It really works! I still have images of Kine smiling her big smile in my mind, and yet all I see of the bad characters are wider shots with no interesting characteristics. Bravo for noticing!
yextosc
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