From: Aboubakar Sidiki Sanogo [SMTP:asanogo@nmafa.si.edu]
The motion picture community has lost one of its geniuses. Djibril Diop
Mambety, the physically, spiritually and intellectually tall Senegalese film
director passed away on Thursday, July 23rd 1998 in a Paris hospital. He
was receiving treatment for lung cancer. Djibril Diop Mambety will be
remembered for his masterpieces "Touki Bouki" (1973),(which earned him
international recognition at the Cannes Film Festival of that year)
"Hyenas"(1992) and "Le Franc"( 1994) , all stunning for their visual poetry
and mastery of story-telling.
My favorite quote from Djibril is the one he had in a 1991 interview
published in Ecrans d'Afrique/African Screen Magazine. He says :
"One day I ran into God. He seemed quite tired, a bit panic-stricken. I told
him I was Djibril Al Islam, the messenger of God... I asked him what the
matter was. He replied "I'm looking for my mother". I told Him "Go and have
some sleep. You'll be luckier tomorrow". And that's exactly what he
did...".
Today the messenger is probably having lunch with God, feeding him
back on what he saw on our troubled planet during his very short
VISIT(1945-1998 ).
Goodbye Djibril, may your soul rest in peace.
Aboubakar Sidiki Sanogo
Fellow-Film Programming
National Museum of African Art
Smithsonian Institution
950 Independence Ave, SW
Washington Dc 20560
Phone 202-357-4600 (ext) 224
Fax 202-357-4879
E-mail: asanogo@nmafa.si.edu
In-Reply-To: 199807281355.GAA03045@abraham.xc.org