Touki Bouki (1973)
Touki Bouki, directed by Senegalese filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambéty, is a groundbreaking film from 1973 that blends elements of surrealism, social commentary, and experimental cinema. The film tells the story of two young lovers, Mory and Anta, who dream of escaping their mundane lives in Dakar and finding a new life in Paris. The film is often hailed for its innovative storytelling and visual style, offering a scathing critique of post-colonial Senegal and the disillusionment that came with the promises of modernization and Western ideals.
The film is a pivotal work in African cinema, often compared to the French New Wave for its bold, unconventional narrative structure and style. Its themes of alienation, identity, and the tension between tradition and modernity make it a timeless piece, rich with cultural and political undertones.
The story follows Mory, a young man who rides around Dakar on a motorcycle adorned with a cow’s skull, and his girlfriend, Anta, a student. Both are disillusioned with their lives in Senegal and dream of escaping to Paris for a better future. Throughout the film, the two engage in various schemes to gather enough money for their journey, including stealing and conning people, all while navigating the complex social and political landscape of post-colonial Senegal.
As Mory and Anta get closer to achieving their dream, the film shifts between moments of reality and surrealist sequences, depicting their fantasies of a better life. However, when they finally manage to secure passage on a ship bound for France, Mory hesitates and decides to stay behind, while Anta boards the ship alone. The film ends with Mory returning to Dakar, suggesting a cycle of disillusionment and the inescapable pull of home.
One of the central themes of Touki Bouki is the disillusionment of post-colonial Senegal. The characters are caught between the traditional ways of life in Senegal and the allure of Western modernity, represented by their dreams of escaping to Paris. Mambéty presents this tension through the characters’ dissatisfaction with their lives and their view of France as an idealized paradise. However, the film suggests that the promises of Western modernity are hollow, as the characters’ pursuit of this dream leads to moral compromises and personal alienation.
Mory and Anta’s sense of alienation is a recurring theme in the film. They feel out of place in their own country, where poverty, corruption, and inequality dominate, yet their desire to escape to Paris seems equally unattainable. Mory, in particular, embodies this sense of disconnection. His motorcycle decorated with a cow's skull symbolizes a blend of tradition and modernity, but it also reflects his fragmented identity—torn between his roots in Senegal and his desire to embrace a new identity abroad. This inner conflict culminates in his inability to leave Dakar, highlighting the complex nature of cultural identity in a post-colonial context.
Touki Bouki explores the tension between traditional Senegalese culture and the encroachment of Western modernity. The film features several sequences that juxtapose rural, traditional life—symbolized by scenes of cattle herding and tribal customs—with the urban chaos of Dakar, full of Western cars, clothing, and music. Mambéty critiques the way in which modernity and Western ideals have influenced the younger generation, often at the expense of their own cultural heritage. This is embodied in the character of Mory, whose longing for Paris ultimately leads him back to his origins in Senegal, unable to fully abandon his roots.
Escape is a recurring motif in the film, as Mory and Anta see leaving Senegal as the only way to improve their lives. Throughout the film, there are multiple symbolic references to journeys and departures, from the ocean waves to the motorcycle rides, but ultimately these represent the characters' futile quest for freedom. The title itself, Touki Bouki, loosely translates to "The Journey of the Hyena," a metaphor for the cyclical, endless pursuit of unattainable goals. In the end, the film suggests that true escape is an illusion, as Mory's decision to stay behind reflects the impossibility of fully abandoning one's past and cultural identity.
Mory is the protagonist of the film, a young man disillusioned with his life in Dakar. He is rebellious and discontent, riding his motorcycle through the city in search of freedom. Mory’s character embodies the theme of alienation, as he struggles with his identity in a world that offers no clear path forward. His dream of Paris represents both an escape from his circumstances and a desire to reinvent himself, yet his hesitation at the end of the film reveals the deep internal conflict between his aspirations and his connection to home.
Anta is Mory’s girlfriend and a university student, equally disillusioned with life in Senegal. She is more determined than Mory to leave for Paris and sees their escape as the only way to achieve a better future. While Mory is conflicted, Anta’s character is more single-minded in her pursuit of escape, yet she too is ultimately affected by the harsh realities of their situation.
Mambéty employs surrealist imagery and symbolism throughout the film, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. The motorcycle adorned with a cow’s skull, for instance, becomes a symbol of Mory’s cultural and personal identity, merging the old and new worlds. The film’s fragmented narrative structure also mirrors the disjointed lives of its characters, reflecting their psychological turmoil and sense of alienation.
One of the most notable aspects of Touki Bouki is its innovative use of sound. Mambéty layers natural sounds, music, and dialogue in ways that are often unconventional, creating an aural landscape that complements the film’s surreal visual style. Traditional Senegalese music is mixed with Western pop songs, highlighting the cultural clash that permeates the film. The repetition of certain sounds and musical motifs, like the recurring use of Josephine Baker’s "Paris, Paris," serves to reinforce the characters’ obsession with escape and the allure of Paris.
The film’s narrative is fragmented and non-linear, often jumping between different moments in time or fantasy sequences without clear transitions. This approach reflects the disjointed mental state of the characters, particularly Mory, whose dreams of escape are constantly interrupted by the reality of his situation. Mambéty’s use of this non-linear structure is reminiscent of the French New Wave and serves to disrupt conventional storytelling, emphasizing the film’s experimental nature.
Touki Bouki was made during a time when Senegal, like many African nations, was grappling with the legacy of colonialism and the complexities of forging a new national identity. The film reflects the disillusionment many Africans felt in the post-colonial era, as the promises of independence often failed to deliver the prosperity and progress that had been envisioned. Mambéty uses the characters of Mory and Anta to explore these themes, showing how the allure of the West was often at odds with the realities of life in Africa.
Touki Bouki is considered one of the most important films in African cinema. Its innovative style, blending traditional African storytelling with European cinematic techniques, has influenced generations of filmmakers, both in Africa and around the world. The film’s exploration of identity, modernity, and the disillusionment of post-colonial Africa remains relevant today, making it a timeless work that continues to resonate with contemporary audiences. In 2008, the World Cinema Foundation restored the film, further cementing its place as a landmark of global cinema.
Touki Bouki is a visually stunning and thematically rich film that offers a unique perspective on post-colonial African identity, the allure of Western modernity, and the alienation felt by a generation caught between two worlds. Djibril Diop Mambéty’s innovative use of surrealism, sound, and non-linear storytelling makes the film a standout in the history of African cinema, and its universal themes of disillusionment and the desire for escape ensure its continued relevance and impact.
