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The Wagoner
Borom sarret
Ousmane Sembène’s first film uses a mixture of documentary and fiction techniques to tell the story of a young cart-driver in Dakar. He is robbed by a succession of dishonest passengers and ends up having his cart confiscated by the police, thereby losing not only his means of livelihood but his sole claim to self-respect in a poverty-ridden community.
The film illustrates the continent’s poverty, showing that independence has not solved the problems of its people. The Wagoner is often considered the first film made in Africa by a Black African.
Bio Ousmane Sembène
The Los Angeles Times considered Senegalese Ousmane Sembène (1923—2007) one of the greatest writers of Africa. He has also often been called the ‘Father of African film’. A firm believer in the big screen, he refused to release his films on video and DVD for many years. This led to few opportunities to see his films, compounded by the racism that relegates pioneering Black and African directors to history’s margins. He came of age in Senegal’s segregated cinemas, which he attended almost every day.
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- This film was #37 in the “Greatest” Short Films of All Time 2025