Customer Reviews

Camp de Thiaroye

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Sembene's films are worth watching for a lot of reasons, but this one is absolutely brilliant. I've taken several African film courses at University and the professors will show this one without fail. The story of the Senegalese soldiers returning home from WW2 is gripping enough in itself, but the way they are treated by the French colonizers, for whom they've just fought, is a history lesson that everyone needs to learn. Whether you're looking for a compelling story or you're serious about knowing the truth behind colonialist exploitation of the African continent, this film should be on your must-see list.

I saw Camp de Thiaroye years ago. The director - the late Ousmane Sembene - gives us images in his films that we never forget. African soldiers returning from war on behalf of their European rulers were supposed to get paid - instead they were told just to go home. Their weapons already turned in - these poor guys stage a protest. Tanks roll in - inside little glass windows you see white faces operating the tanks that are firing on unarmed soldiers - at no risk to themselves. I worry now about America's use of drones. War used to be soldier against soldier. As terrible as that could be - what are we doing now?