1975
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Yeelen (Bambara for "brightness"/"light") is a 1987 Malian film directed by Souleymane Cissé. It is filmed in the Bambara and Fula languages, and is based on a legend told by the Bambara people. Though the era is undefined, it is presumably set in the 13th century in the Mali Empire and is a heroic quest narrative featuring magic and precognition.
Dec 2, 1987 · Yeelen: Directed by Souleymane Cissé. With Issiaka Kane, Aoua Sangare, Niamanto Sanogo, Balla Moussa Keita. A young man with magical powers journeys to his uncle to request help in fighting his sorcerer father.
- (2.8K)
- Drama, Fantasy
- Souleymane Cissé
- 1987-12-02
Dec 9, 2021 · A landmark in African cinema, Souleymane Cissé’s film is set in the Malian empire of the 13th century and depicts the quest of a young son across the West African landscape to confront his father, a tyrannical magician.
May 11, 2020 · The Malian director Souleymane Cissé’s historical drama, from 1987, is a masterwork of metaphysical realism. It’s based on a thirteenth-century legend about a sorcerer, Nianankoro, whose ...
- Condé Nast
Feb 22, 2020 · Summary: A young man, Nianankoro, embarks on a journey across ancient Mali to fulfil his destiny and challenge his tyrannical father Soma, a member of the Komo society which holds the secrets of a divine cosmic force.
In this epic drama drawing on Bambara culture, which echoes mythic legends in an invented tale, a hero undergoes ordeals that allow him to renovate a decaying society. A young man must penetrate the secrets of the Komo cult (a real caste of specialist knowledge among the Bambara), whose members have abused their spiritual powers.
May 2, 2024 · Cinema Reborn Review: Yeelen (1987) Harnessing the earthly magic and natural elements of the African Sub Saharan landscape, Cissé borrows the mythic legends of Malian folklore and transcribes it effortlessly onto the celluloid of 35mm film. By Annabel Li May 2, 2024 Reviews 4 Mins Read. Credit: Cinema Reborn.
