In the well-crafted and beautifully shot Senegalese drama Banel and Adama, a 19-year-old couple live in a remote village, happily in love with each other, but chafing at cultural traditions. Banel (Khady Mane) suffers her nightmare of a mother-in-law, and Adama (Mamadou Diallo) resists the burdens of community leadership that he knows he isn’t ready for. Can they find happiness in their village? Will they leave together?
Their personal stories are set in a dramatic, drought-stricken landscape with houses buried in sand and dust. Writer-director Ramata-Toulaye Sy, in her first feature, and cinematographer Amine Berrada deliver one of the most visually singular films of the year.
Sy gets fine performances out of cast of non-actors. Mane is especially charismatic as Banel.
I screened Banel and Adama for this year’s SFFILM, where I highlighted it in my Under the radar at SFFILM. It’s now been released into arthouse theaters by Kino Lorber.