notes and thoughts from film "MOOLADE" and handed-out interview with Ousmane Sembene, film director; interview conducted by Prof. Samba Gadjigo, Apr.11, 04 (Gadjigo is author of _Ousmane Sembene: Dialogues with Critics and Writers_ (UMass, 1993)


arguments/issues appear to be contained by internalized values of the 'well educated' and as well, superficial Leftist critique (not that Rightist critique is any better).

Americans, as usual, judge from alleged high moral ground, while thinking nothing of having their own kids (albeit as babies) circumcised.

Form and content of the film reminds me of the Left attack of traditional whaling in the u.s./canada, where deeper information is painted over with hysteria types of "information", while traditional-oriented voices/demystification remain marginalized and/or silenced.

heart disagreements of masses commandeered by simplistic methods (including uncritical, internalized values), and then "led" by the underlying values of the dominant/colonial interests. Similar to how similar happened in u.s. and became rigid PC situation, and people rigidly divided and conquered.

cartoonizing traditional people, gutting what may well be (and most likely has long been) a very sensitive interaction of all of these art people.

Question: in what context did this focus on pain come about? Is it similar at all to Native American Sun Dance focus on pain? Could its modern situation have anything to do with communities beseiged by ruthless European attacks, seeking to strengthen females in an extremely hostile world? Thus, in this context, what is 'Purification' meant to contain?

Notably, anti-sex attitudes which prevail in Western states and their colonies, can be easily *exploited* by the very people who claim to be against exploitation.

When traditional people (who are creative, art-centered people) *go into pain* what are they doing? Certainly their intent is lost (as history systematically shows) by the usual interpretations of colonizer imagination and its academic lapdogs (these studiers of people who remain leashed to camoflauged colonizer-style interests.

The colonization of everyday life by the uncomprehending soldiers and their 'dutiful' officers; manipulated by the generals and strategists over and over again.

The possible radical method of Sembene may be excellent for African populations (where he says African masses are not yet afraid to *speak their minds*), yet in Western-dominated society, we have a very different situation, and that is why this film works to hype-up and mobilize Westerners to do the bidding of large, well-financed institutions whom, in line with the propaganda game, seem to defend one group being unfairly dealt with, while totally attacking (in the most rigid, divide and conquer methodology) the group alleged to be acting in "self-interest" and with no sensitivity whatsoever.

This is the pattern of the most dangerous form of neo-colonialism, abroad as well as at home. And neither Leftist nor Rightist dissent sheds *any* light to this!

Look at the consequences:
The consequences from rigid or dogmatic attack are that groups of originally connected people become alienated and poisoned from trusting each other--divided and conquered!

This is why i say that Western progressive ways of doing things should be radically understood and avoided by peoples who wish to have their autonomy survive, continue, and ultimately thrive. Conscious traditional people MUST wake up to the insidiousness of colonizer warfare in all its aspects, while, at the same time--in order to hold together the most excellent ideas of autonomous insight and self-arting--AVOIDING hatred of a people (Western "citizens") who *know not what they do*.

This is the lesson that seems to be usually lost by minority groups in the u.s. (and possibly other Western countries) when they are dominated by superficial Leftist or Rightist critique. They often put up major walls and don heavy armors that effectively BURN POSSIBLE BRIDGES with "outsiders". One can see this easily with racial minority groups in this country, such as Blacks and Native American indigenous folks, but as well, those being influenced by Rightist portions of truth are ALSO being kept hyped-up and divided, keeping us all weak.


Also, i wonder at the dynamics of the filming process itself. Does "the expert" come in and Tell his non-professional actors that his way is the "only way" Westerners will be able to engage the topic? And what are the pros and cons of this?

Radios:
The introduction of the radio is something Westerners take for granted. But for those still oriented mostly to traditional ways, the radio represents more than mere seemingly benign 'entertainment'. Nice music and portions of critical thinking hook the attention of the unwary listener, and over time, various techniques of the 'manufacture of consent' and 'engineering of opinion' come into play.

On the one hand it makes sense to allow people to have *outside opinions*, and on the other, we must understand that, for places like Africa and all other ways of life under systematic seige, certain interests systematically take center stage.

Persons indoctrinated with the idea of representing their nations also find themselves between a rock and a hard place when efforts to control Western neo-colonial interests, notions, and ideas, are called "censorship". The Malaysian government has been attacked in this way, and certainly many more. At home, we aren't given the contexts for such "censorship" and so we are led to simplistically believe that someone is a "tyrant" or "dictator", when in fact, there may well be a much bigger picture.

This pattern sheds light to the way masses of people are manipulated to serve the interests of those called elites (elites are basically a more privileged section of the masses, whom have been conditioned to 'follow orders' and subordinate their individuality to 'their superiors' in something very much like military 'chain of command'.

Last points:
Sembene's films have won various prizes in the colonial state in which he has long resided. Since when do principled dissidents get rewarded unless such fits within elite interests in some way?

Finally, in the film, a man called "Mercenaire" (sounds like Mercenary) is both the heralder of modern imposed norms with his plastic bowls, 'Bank Notes' (insightfully not even called 'money' yet!), and military service (conscripted?), as well as a crucial hero who forcefully breaks up a whipping of the main heroine by her not insensitive husband (whom has been goaded to carry out his 'duty'). Mercenaire seems to be the epitome of the modernized African man, still clinging to a semblance of autonomy, while quite deeply mentally chained to colonizer values and superficial thinking.

Not thinking things through to their logical outcomes seems to have been entirely missed by the most voiceferous of those who wanted to be in valuable solidarity with girls being apparently brutally forced into this ancient initiation rite. What they fail to understand, though, is that they are being used as pawns in the systematic imposition of dark age ruling control forms dividing people up and keeping them thus much weaker and more easily subjugated in the larger, yet unspoken, reality.

resources:
www.Africa2000.com
The Black Scholar

hand-out from interview gives following url:
www.africultures.com/popup_article.asp?no=3369&popup=1

Note: unbridled critical thinker is not affiliated with any of the websites mentioned. I am committed to autonomous critical thought beyond the grip of ideology and its consequences. To explore some of these ideas, you might want to visit www.anti-politics.com/forum/