Banel & Adama is a 2023 French-Malian-Senegalese romantic movie and it is the first ever feature film of Ramata-Toulaye Sy. It is set in an obscure village in Senegal and illustrates the conflicts between love and customs.
Synopsis
Banel (Khady Mane) and Adama (Mamadou Diallo) have found unconditional love between them and wish to live their pretty much everything to do with their families. The two’s desire to go against norms of society especially Adama’s reluctance of taking on the position of the chief of the village brings chaos within the society which results in untold and gloomy aftermath.
Cast & Crew
- Director & Writer: Ramata-Toulaye Sy
- Producers: Eric Névé, Maud Leclair, Margaux Juvenal
- Cinematography: Amine Berrada
- Editing: Vincent Tricon
- Music: Bachar Mar-Khalifé
- Main Cast:
- Khady Mane as Banel
- Mamadou Diallo as Adama
- Binta Racine Sy
- Moussa Sow
- Ndiabel Diallo
- Oumar Samba Dia
- Amadou Ndiaye
Critical Reception
The feature film debuted at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023, during which it was vying for the Palme d Or. This was also the official entry from Senegal for the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards. The film is currently sitting at 94% approvals on Rotten Tomatoes from 16 reviews with average ratings of 6.6 over ten. A survey by Metacritic gives it a score of 69 out of 100 and describes the reviews as “generally favorable”.
Personal Insights
This case deals with great love through loyalty, desire and complex emotions set against the backdrop of rural Senegal that is beautifully captured. This theme has been portrayed in a rather artistically stylized form in “Banel & Adama”. The casting of non professional actors in Khady Mane and Mamadou Diallo makes the story much more engaging and allows the audience to draw much stronger emotional attachments to the characters and their struggles.
Cultural Significance
This film contributes to African cinema by confronting the issue of the outcry of all societies between the two cultural extremes. It depicts the struggles of those, particularly women, who wish to practice independence in a considerably dominant culture. Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s directing style is certainly intriguing and focuses on how culture can be stifling and even inhibit one’s freedom.
Availability
‘Banel & Adama’ debuted in France on August thirty, two thousand and twenty three under the management of Tandem. From the end of 2024, the feature film serves streaming options in various platforms ie., Apple TV Plus, as well as Amazon Prime Video among others.