Camp de Thiaroye (1987)

Directed by

Thierno Faty Sow, Ousmane Sembène

Genre

drama film, war film

Country

Senegal

Runtime

2h 27m

Rating

7.5 of 10 from 22 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

African soldiers return from fighting for France in World War Two and wait at a military camp in Senegal to be demobilized. They protest against unfair pay and poor conditions, and French authorities respond with deadly force.

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What happens

Camp de Thiaroye ([kɑ̃ də tjaʁ.wa]; also known as The Camp at Thiaroye) is a 1988 Senegalese war-drama film written and directed by Ousmane Sembène and Thierno Faty Sow. It depicts the Thiaroye massacre, which occurred on the morning of December 1, 1944 in Thiaroye, Dakar. In the weeks leading up to the massacre, members of the Senegalese Tirailleurs at the Thiaroye military camp had been protesting poor camp conditions and revocation of promised demobilization benefits. With the camp declared to be in open mutiny, French forces opened fire on the mutineers. French authorities reported a death toll of 35, but estimates range up to 300. A work of historical fiction, the film depicts the events leading up to the Thiaroye massacre as well as the massacre itself. Sembène's portrayal provides a heavy critique of French colonialism, particularly its dismissal of African demands and use of extreme brutality in response to disobedience. It also reflects criticisms of colonial ingratitude and betrayal, as soldiers felt indignant that their wartime sacrifices were being repaid in such a manner. The film received positive reviews at the time of its release, notably winning the Grand Jury Prize at the 45th Venice International Film Festival. It continues to be heralded by scholars as an important historical documentation of the Thiaroye massacre, playing a role in bringing the event back into public memory. The film was banned in France for a decade and censored in Senegal as well. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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