Xalé

“In order to decolonize cinema, first we must decolonize ourselves,” noted veteran Senegalese filmmaker Moussa Sene Absa on his potent drama, which combines contemporary theatrical and melodramatic flourishes with more traditional forms of storytelling. Senegal’s Oscar submission for 2022, the film follows a teenage schoolgirl and her twin brother, whose lives are suddenly upended when their grandmother dies and their aunt and uncle are forced to marry. Death, consequences, and pain follow, narrated by a strangely joyful chorus. “Consistently, colorfully diverting and honestly felt . . . tells a story of female rage that is both resonantly contemporary and as old as the hills” (Variety).