“‘Jom' is a Wolof word which has no equivalent in French or in English. ‘Jom' means dignity, courage, respect.... It is the origin of all virtues. It somehow means an elegance in the way one lives. Fidelity towards one's involvements. Respect towards others and oneself. Jom guides the lives and behavior of thousands of people in West Africa. For them, it is Jom which makes a man, and not his family origins or his wealth. Jom protects us against the absurdity of life....” Ababacar Samb Makharam
Jom, a film by Senegalese director Ababacar Samb Makharam (Koudou, 1972) combines a contemporary story of political struggle in Senegal with tales of a heroic past when Jom prevailed. The setting is a bitter factory strike against corrupt bosses. The striking workers are supported by the troubador Khali, a “griot” or tribal storyteller, “the trustee of the past and caretaker of traditional values.” As Khali spins his tales, the film takes the form of flashbacks to various historical periods in which men chose to die rather than lose Jom. Director Makharam proves himself to be a skillful “griot,” as the anecdotes take on a vivid pageantry and intensity that serve as both a contrast and an inspiration to the modern world.
Jom was featured at the 1982 Cannes Festival and in 1983 at the San Francisco Film Festival and Filmex.