Black Girl (1966)
Written and directed by Ousmane Sembene; produced by André Zwoboda; cinematography by Christian Lacoste; edited by André Gaudier.
Diouana (M’Bissine Thérèse Diop); Madame (Anne-Marie Jelinek); Monsieur (Robert Fontaine); Young Man (Momar Nar Sene); Young Male Guest (Bernard Delbard); Young Female Guest (Nicole Donati); Old Male Guest (Raymond Lemery); Old Female Guest (Suzanne Lemery); Boy with Mask (Le masque) (Ibrahima Boy); Children (Philippe, Sophie, Damien); Public Scribe (Ousmane Sembene).
How does the use of sound (and silence)—including voice and music—express the power dynamics depicted in the film? (Write no more than 500 words.)
Types of music in the film (so that if you describe the music you have the vocabulary to do so. You may use the boldface terms as shorthand in your essay.)
French piano bastringue (a piano that has been detuned) accompanied by a bass and drum brush
A West African stringed instrument called a kora (which sounds something like a harp or lute) sometimes accompanied by vocals
West African vocals and drums that form a rhythmic choral chant