The World of Movies: Borom sarret
Written by Rachael Crawley
The World of Movies is a series that explores global cinema, drawing on films from many countries, industries and eras. This week’s film takes place in Dakar, Senegal, in the 1960s.
Borom sarret.
May contain spoilers.
Borom sarret (1963) was the directorial debut of Ousmane Sembène, one of the most prominent figures in Senegalese and African cinema. An author as well as a filmmaker, he frequently dealt with social and economic issues – and this short is no exception, depicting daily life for working people in a newly independent Senegal.
An unnamed man (Ly Abdoulay) tries to make a living as a cart driver in Dakar. Over the course of the day, he transports several different people. We get a glimpse at both their ambitions and the obstacles that hinder them. Many passengers go to work or look for it. One man rushes his wife to the maternity ward. In a particularly heartbreaking scene, another man brings his deceased child to the cemetery. Some passengers cannot pay, yet the wagoner takes them anyway.
The wagoner seems to be mildly irritated by most of them. Indeed, modern life in general irritates him. He is perpetually worried about survival. He dreams of improving his prospects, but is blocked by bureaucracy and class divides. Ultimately, he ends up worse off for it. Abdoulay plays the role with a sort of resigned skepticism, which fits. The wagoner has struggled to get by and will continue to do so, regardless of recent changes. The future, the movie suggests, will be even more difficult.
Borom sarret.
Even with its running time of twenty minutes, the film feels leisurely, helped by an exquisite, relaxed score. We follow the protagonist, but we also watch the world go by, with all the daily happenings around the various parts of town. The protagonist narrates (to his horse) about his neighbours and clients, adding to the feeling that he is one part of a much larger picture. Even quick shots provide a surprising amount of character information. There are also some striking close-ups, most notably a motif of feet, which plays into the theme of division.
One of Sembène’s strengths is communicating through sparse detail. With only a few lines, we understand the wagoner’s desires and the limits of his situation. A couple of brief events provide crucial societal context. Later, the movie addresses its central issues more explicitly, but its point is made long before that. The wagoner expresses many thoughts on the world, but his perspective doesn’t feel like a definitive answer – it leaves more of an unresolved feeling. The contradictions of the modern world cannot be reconciled with any kind of ease.
While Borom sarret portrays life in 1960s Senegal, it has much broader commentary on economic disparity. It is a movie densely packed with both details and larger ideas. The film focuses on one day in the life of one man, but deals with a world of complexity. For both its quality and its landmark status in African cinema, it should not be missed.
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.