Lady Marmoolaadé

When Seattlest saw that the Northwest Film Forum, in conjunction with Americans for UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, was hosting a screening of Moolaadé tonight, we nearly shat ourselves with excitement. Simply put, Moolaadé is one of the best films to have been made so far this century. And it's easily the best damn female circumcision film we've ever seen. Seriously, look at these glowing reviews. From A.O. Scott: "To skip Ousmane Sembene's Moolaadé would be to miss an opportunity to experience the embracing, affirming, world-changing potential of humanist cinema at its finest." From Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly: "This great work of art has the potential to change the world."

We know that those statements sound completely overblown, but take it from us, you can believe the hype. In the skilled hands of Ousmane Sembene, the 82-year-old Senegalese writer/director often considered the founding father of African cinema, the film adroitly tackles a weighty subject in a delicate manner. The story focuses on a small African village, where four young girls have fled their ritual circumcision and sought sanctuary (moolaadé) with strong-willed Collé, who protected her own daughter from mutilation. Her willingness to take them in pits Collé against local fundamentalists and threatens to endanger her daughter's marriage to a high-ranking tribal leader.

Though the issues are heavy, Moolaadé is anything but: beautifully made, vibrantly shot and full of life, powerful without being ham-handed, compassionate in its tone and urgent in its message. This is a film that had us thinking long after the fact, and one that demands several viewings. As it is, Moolaadé is not yet available on DVD, with no indication as to when that may be (believe us, we've been checking). So your only bet for seeing this moving morality tale is to catch it on one of the rare occasions it's shown in a theater. Like tonight.

Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Ave.
6pm reception, 7pm film, 9pm discussion
Tickets are $15 for general admission, $5 for students