Sembène, Ousmane (1923–2007)

Senegalese film director, producer, and writer. The first African film-maker to achieve international recognition, he directed a number of original works, such as La Noire de.../Black Girl (1966), Xala/The Curse (1974), and Faat Kiné (2000). His films, predominantly in the realist style, explore indigenous cultures, political upheaval, and the isolating effects of colonialism, and inspired many subsequent African filmmakers.

Already an established novelist, he studied film in 1960. His novels, written in French, include Le Docker noir/The Black Docker (1956), about his experiences as a union leader in Marseille, Les Bouts de bois/God's Bits of Wood (1960), Le Mandat/The Money Order (1966), and Xala (1974), the last two of which he made into films (1968 and 1975).

His film short Borom Sorret (1963) marked his filmmaking debut. Other films include Ceddo/The People (1977), Camp de Thiaroye (1988), and Moolaadé (2004).