Hyènes
| Hyènes | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Djibril Diop Mambéty |
| Produced by | Pierre-Alain Meier Alain Rozanès |
| Written by | Djibril Diop Mambéty |
| Based on | The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt |
| Starring | Ami Diakhate |
| Music by | Wasis Diop |
| Cinematography | Matthias Kälin |
| Edited by | Loredana Cristelli |
| Distributed by | California Newsreel Productions |
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Release dates
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Running time
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110 minutes |
| Country | Senegal |
| Language | Wolof |
Hyènes is a 1992 Senegalese comedy film adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's Swiss-German satirical play The Visit,[1] directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty. The intimate story of love and revenge parallels a critique of neocolonialism and African consumerism. It was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
Plot
Hyènes (Hyenas) tells the story of Linguere Ramatou, an aging, wealthy woman who revisits her home village of Colobane. Linguere offers a disturbing proposition to the people of Colobane and lavishes luxuries upon them to persuade them. This embittered woman, "as rich as the World Bank", will bestow upon Colobane a fortune in exchange for the murder of Dramaan Drameh, a local shopkeeper who abandoned her after a love affair and her illegitimate pregnancy when she was 16.
Cast
- Ami Diakhate as Linguere Ramatou
- Djibril Diop Mambéty
- Mansour Diouf as Dramaan Drameh
- Calgou Fall as The Priest
- Faly Gueye as Mme. Drameh
- Mamadou Mahourédia Gueye as The Mayor
- Issa Ramagelissa Samb as The Professor
Critical response
Critical response to the film was mostly positive. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 69% of critics gave the film positive reviews based upon a sample of 159, with an average score of 3.7 out of 5. Hyènes was nominated for the Golden Palm award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
- "A timeless story...The strong story line and fine ensemble acting provide a faster, more easily assimilated rhythm than many African films." - Variety
- "This pungent film adaptation's change of locale lends the tale a new political dimension...(Mambety) inflects the grim drama with an edge of carnival humor. This film carries a sting!" - New York Times
- "This wicked tale, told with wit and irony, has all the ingredients of a crowd-pleaser." - The Village Voice
- "Funnier and warmer than Dürrenmatt ever dared to be but with the tale's bleak, ominous edges still in evidence." - New York Newsday
References
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