Global and local audiences of transnational cinema

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Global and local audiences of transnational cinema

• Mari Maasilta
• 27.2.2006

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The main research questions

• How are Senegalese identities negotiated in the
  context of cultural globalisation and Senegal
  transnational cinema in the home country?
• How does the reception of Senegalese
  transnational cinema differ in Senegal and
  abroad?

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Methodology

• Case study approach
• In instrumental case study, a case is examined
  to provide insight into an issue or refinement of
  theory. The case plays only a supportive role,
  facilitating our understanding of something else.
  The choice of case is made because it is expected
  to advance our understanding of that other
  interest. (Robert Stake, 1998)

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• 2. Mediated reception approach
• The reception of transnational cinema is
  studied through media discourses not through
  audience responses
• 3. Cultural studies approach
• Cultural contextualisation, field work

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Research material

• 118 articles concerning Karmen from Senegalese
  newspapers and periodicals from April 2001 to
  July 2002
• Messages from two Senegalese Internet discussion
  forums
• 104 messages from the forum of Le Soleil
  (www.lesoleil.sn)
• 168 messages from the Karmen website
  (www.lesoleil.sn/karmen/frame1.htm)
• 4. 35 film reviews from Canada, France, Senegal
  and the United States

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Controversy around the film

• première in Senegal July 22, 2001
• on Saturday 8 September, the film was attacked by
  a Mourid group baye fall
• the distibution of Karmen in Senegal was
  temporarily denied
• the censorship remained permanent and the film
  has not been shown in Senegal since September 2001

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Cultural context in Senegal

• Secularist political system
• About 94 of Senegalese population are Muslims,
  3 Christians, (mostly Roman Catholics), 3
  traditional religious practices, so-called
  "animism"
• rise of political Islam after the Islamic
  revolution in Iran

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• the role of Mouridism and Ahmadou Bamba
• a widely held view that homosexuality is a white
  importation to Africa and that the practise of
  homosexuality did not exist in African societies
  before colonialism

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Hoe the film was discussed on the two Senegalese
Internet forums?
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Four main discourses
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Religious discourse

• I argue as a Muslim and Islam is a global
  (universal) religion. Sound art should never
  oppose Islam. If a work of art is in
  contradiction with Islam it has to be censored.
• A CATHOLIC CANNOT BE HOMOSEXUAL OR LESBIAN.
  Karmen is a SERIOUS BLASPHEMY AGAINST MY
  RELIGION. I WISH THAT ALL THE CATHOLICS BOYCOTT
  THIS FILM, THE FRUIT OF THE DEVIL.

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Senegaleseness discourse

• Stop talking about universalism of art for us.
  It's sad to see that it's only poor Africans who
  have to welcome everything in the name of
  "universalism" and all the others couldn't care
  less what we are and what we represent. Let's
  stop imitating others in the name of universalism
  and "globalisation", so much admired by our
  pseudo-intellectuals. They force us to forget our
  own values. Instead of imitating the obscenities
  of others, we should produce pieces of art on the
  basis of our own rich cultural patrimony - they
  might even interest those who would seriously
  like to learn something about us - before
  adopting all the nonsense from abroad. Bass,
  please open your eyes, this extroversion of
  Senegalese is becoming a real sickness.

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Realism discourse

• The film we are talking about is not about
  Mouridism, still less about religion, it's "real
  fiction" about the life we are living in this
  country. In the nightclubs people are dancing
  salargrilou and ndalgati with religious songs
  interpreted by our famous musicians without
  problem, it is more pertinent to expose the
  behaviour of the so-called Mourids who smoke USE
  DRUGS, etc. down with "the religious jealousy",
  hurrah for tolerance. Let's leave the beautiful
  karmen in peace.

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Art discourse

• It is shocking to notice that freedom of
  expression is not progressing in my country. In
  the contrary, it's becoming more and more a
  country of anarchy. How come that a formerly
  respectable authority like the Minister of the
  Interior can go so far that he restrains the
  screening of a work of art?

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How was Karmen received outside Senegal?
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Afrocentrismin Western reviews

• "When Miss Baker raises her arms in phallic
  invocation, this pose evokes all the enchantment
  of Negro sculptures. We are no longer facing the
  frolicking Dancing Girl, but the Black Venus"

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• "Now there's Karmen Gei (Djeinaba Diop Gai). Not
  your conventional femme fatale, Karmen is a
  Senegalese goddess, the true realization of
  Merimee's character and Bizet's gypsy heroine.
  Her power is primitive, numinous, destructive.
  When Karmen dances, the earth's magma seems to
  rise in her loins."

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• sexual vocabulary libidinous, oozing sexual
  power
• bestial vocabulary"gazelle", "tiger
• related to oral pleasures sweet like "a statue
  carved of chocolate with an extremely high cocoa
  content" , "irresistible honey-pot"

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• "Africa and its strong rhythmic tradition seem to
  support this singing and dancing shebang much
  more naturally than most other continents can"