Yeelen 1987

Yeelen 1987

Yeelen 1987
1h 45m | Drama, Fantasy | Release date: December 2, 1987 (France)

Storyline:

A young man with magical powers journeys to his uncle to request help in fighting his sorcerer father.

User review:

If absolutely nothing else, “Yeelen” offers a look at a society that we in the west don’t often get to see. In this case, it’s the Bambara people of Mali; the movie also includes the Dogon and Fulani. Having taken a sociology-anthropology class, I already knew about them. The plot centers on a warrior having to battle an evil sorcerer who is also his father.

I should identify that this is not a movie for people with short attention spans: the action moves along very slowly. But don’t worry. Despite how it takes a long time for everything to happen, you feel like you’ve gotten a lot out of the movie. Above all, I like to see how Africans view themselves as opposed to how we in the west view them. So I certainly recommend this movie.

Director: Souleymane Cissé
Writer: Souleymane Cissé (screenplay)
Stars: Issiaka Kane, Aoua Sangare, Niamanto Sanogo
Countries of origin: Mali, France, Burkina Faso, West Germany
Languages: Bambara, Fulah
Also known as: Brightness
Filming locations: Dilly, Mali