The Senegalese-French director Ramata-Toulaye Sy makes his debut in the film industry in 2023 with “Banel & Adama.” It is romantic yet tragic and emotional as it tackles the topics of love, identity, and cultural values. The film has in fact received plenty of praise for the song like storytelling and mesmerizingly captivating performances from amateurs like Khady Mane and Mamadou Diallo.
The filmmakers have produced a rather pleasing story testing the audience’s patience. The focus of the narrator is on Banel, whom he identifies as Khady Mane, and Adama, whom he identifies as Mamadou Diallo, emphasizing that the two individuals are significantly in love and are married, and live in a small village with traditional customs. Their bond is strong as Banel is strong willed and Adama who is shy is indeed a good match for her. The couple wants to escape the norms of society so they start pulling down their community’s houses and settling on the outskirts of the village, where it is all deserted and covered in sand.
Adama is only a by-the-blood village chief because of lineage conflict that he unjustly refuses to comply. This leads to both the couple’s separation and Adama’s worse defeat, as it ultimately assures him of even more disrespect. To the villagers as it first appears, it is a new order for the disintegration of the old ways Banel and Adama cost them a respect in their father. The film has certain shades of aspiration as well as obligations towards providing a society and its members with the strength and endorsement with a deeper understanding to bear the consequences of going against the working system.
Visual and Thematic Elements
With Adama and Banel’s story in ‘Put the sun’ comes Sy’s direction marked with a strong visual lyricism as thanks to Amine Berrada there are very nice prints of Senegal scenery throughout. This color strategy employs a variety of pale colors which undermine the dry environment instead of retreating from it complimenting the life aspiring heat and drought for that matter. Among the very thick sandstorms sand birds marching across the screen and strong animal blaring strikes are amongst the many images implying the film to be just another plausibly imagined fable and not the reality based fiction it is.
In its essence, “Banel & Adama” explores the binary of the self and the community by depicting the clash between personal aspirations and norms that the society has laid out for the individuals. Banel’s role seeks to overturn the race’s culture of masculinity and authority as her rebellious nature appears to be in total conflict with her ascribed standard roles. Her never ending desire to lead a life of Adama away from the village boundaries is a critical way of appreciating the need for independence in a world that is highly dominated by cultural structures. The film has a a climate change dimension as well as the drought expands long existing grievances and witchcraft’s tenant within the community.
Performances
Duchess’ role as Banel has been nourished by Khady Mane, who has given Banel the god of realism the essence of determination and fragility at the same time. Banel through the role meatimated loses self, conflicts but at all times stands resolve and determination, and this becomes the center of the narrative. Adama played by Mamadou Diallo on the other hand plays the role of a man who loves but knows he can’t and goes on to deliver a muted performance in comparison to that of Mane’s Adama. The leads’ performance holds relationship with Aisha’s character so effectively that by the time they get to focusing on common goals and the challenges aiming to achieve those, the connection has been well established.
Critiques
“Banel & Adama” has been given generally decent reviews. On the film, tomatoes the film has a general 94% approval rating based on sixteen reviews and with an average score of 6.6 out of 10. Metacritic indicates that there is an average score of 69 out of 100, this average score indicates that there are generally positive reviews.
Critics have opposed Sy’s first film considering it as an exploration of visual storytelling and thematic element. Kenny Glenn of Rogerebert.com states that “every frame a painting” might be applicable to the film.
According to Clotilde Chinnici of Loud and clear reviews, “It is a powerful film with gorgeous and lyrical images that reinforce the very strong social themes of the narrative.”
Some however have questioned some places where the film could have explored further. Jessica Kiang of variety notes that the film is a striking debut but at times can feel overly dull and opaque to a point where it feels narcotic.
Notable also is Wendy Ide of Screen Daily who observes that the “the film becomes considerably more powerful in the second half.” So it seems the beginning takes its time to get going.
Final Thoughts
In looking closely to the film directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy, He’s dated it well and entered into the subtle topic of love and challenging a traditional society.
The aesthetic beauty of the film is complemented by the captivating performances of the actors which makes the audience reflect on themes relating to the balance between individual liberty and social responsibility. While it does not perhaps give all the answers, its visual imagery and thematic relevance contribute to the overall success of the body of work that is contemporary African cinema.
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