And now for something completely different...

The other night I saw a foreign film. Compared to most foreign films I have seen this one was truly foreign.

The film is called Moolaade, it is set in Burkina Faso, its director is a legendary African filmmaker named Ousmane Sembene and its primary subject is the barbaric practice of female circumcision.

It may sound unpleasant but it's actually a classically inspiring tale, very easy for Western audiences to embrace. It provides a vibrant look at a village that is forced to abandon some outdated myths and traditions. Moolaade is not, definitely not, one of those ponderous foreign films more interested in pretty pictures than in characters or ideas.

As J. Hoberman observed in his intelligent review for the Village Voice: "This has to be the most richly entertaining movie anyone has ever made on the subject of female genital mutilation." Not exactly a quote for the print ads, but true enough.

Moolaade is the kind of foreign film that can not be easily compared to anything from Hollywood, or mainstream indies, because it's so specific and regional. It does have flaws, well documented by Phil Hall in a negative review (the only negative review I've seen) at Film Threat, but it overcomes some flat performances and simplistic dialogue with evocative details and storytelling clarity. It also boasts an extremely strong lead performance from an actress named Fatoumata Coulibaly.

Apparently this is the first film of Sembene's to receive any kind of proper theatrical release in the U.S., but that release is still extremely limited. I wonder what it would take to get a respected, likeable film like this a decent level of attention in America. Someone like Oprah Winfrey, who has dealt with the film's topics on her show before, could help. But would it be a lost cause? Is subject matter alone enough to keep people away from a film, no matter how it is presented?

I'm not even sure it matters. While I think many Americans would enjoy seeing this film, they're clearly not the target audience. Anyone can relate to the film's idea of taking a stand and making a change for the better within your community. But the politics of the movie are pitched directly at Africans, and likely only Africans in certain regions. I know what the American film critics have to say, but what I'd really like to know is what the people whose lives are represented in this film have to say.