Hyenas

narrative • Senegal, France • 1992 • DCP • French, Wolof with English subtitles • 106 MIN

section: Best of Il Cinema Ritrovato

An icon of Senegalese and African cinema, Djibril Diop Mambéty directed just two feature films: Touki-Bouki (1973) and Hyenas (1992), which is funnier and even more incisive than its brilliant predecessor. Seeking to turn his village's fortunes around, grocer-turned-politician Dramaan invites old flame Linguere, now obscenely wealthy, to visit her former home after years of exile. However, Linguere has never forgiven Dramaan for the shame he brought onto her when she was just 17-years-old and pregnant with his unacknowledged child. She agrees to lavish the village with untold riches, under one condition: the locals must execute Dramaan. From such a grim scenario (adapted from Friedrich Dürrenmatt's classic play, The Visit), Mambéty stitches gut-busting satire, postcolonial critique, and sweeping pathos together into one emotionally involving masterpiece. Hyenas boasts Mambéty's signature use of bold colors, opulent costumes, and striking camera angles, all begging to be seen on the big screen in this new 4K digital restoration. (ZZ)

Presented with support from UW–Madison Department of African Cultural Studies