Emitai takes place in the period at the end of the World War II, as West African veterans are returning to their homes in the French colonies. General De Gaulle, the hero of the trench resistance, is now the leader of the newly liberated France, yet forced conscriptions and massacres of Diola villages continue, some of them led by former members of France’s Vichy government. With Emitai, Sembene realized his statement „film should be a school of history.“ When the film was released in 1971, it was immediately banned in Senegal, and throughout Africa.

The film-screening will be followed by a discussion with Ibou Diop

When the medium of film expanded in the early 20th century, it was employed among other things for the purpose of promoting Europe’s “civilizing mission” on the African continent.

Since the independence of African countries in the 1950’s and 60’s, filmmakers from Africa are correcting this image and writing their own stories. Beyond the maps focuses on film productions from various genres, dealing both with the resistance against European colonialism on African soil and with the conference itself. Apart from film screenings there will be Q & A sessions with the filmmakers as well as invited experts.