Moolaadé

Winner of the Grand Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival and chosen by many critics as one of their top ten films of 2004, Moolaadé takes a defiant stand against the practice of female circumcision. Outraged over the brutality of this tradition, Collé (Fatoumata Coulibaly), the second wife of a village tribesman, offers moolaadé (protection or sanctuary) to four young girls escaping the traditional salinde, or circumcision ceremony. Collé and the villagers she inspires take matters into their own hands to turn the practice of salinde on its head. This tale of heroism, told with compassion and humor, speaks powerfully to changing cultural mores in contemporary Africa. Moolaadé is also a visual delight, set in Djerisso, Burkina Faso, whose unique temple architecture and rural village life are depicted in vibrant cinematography. “A work of unpretentious simplicity and formal eloquence . . . richly entertaining” (J. Hoberman, Village Voice).