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An Adventurer’s Homecoming + Touki-Bouki (18*)

Returning the Colonial Gaze

,Barbican Cinema 3
Touki-Bouki

A hilarious double-bill parodying the Western and Easy Rider, these two films dramatise the impact of Western culture on the African continent.

Where is home when colonialism is your inheritance? These two films feature alienated young African protagonists in thrall to Western pop culture. In An Adventurer’s Homecoming, a young Nigerien man returns from a trip to the US with suitcase full of cowboy outfits for himself and his friends, and in their new get-up, they transform into a gang of swaggering bandits. Barroom brawls and shoot-em-ups ensue.  

In Touki-Bouki, two Senegalese young lovers, Mory and Anta, wander the streets of Dakar hatching wild schemes to raise money for their escape to Paris, the city of their dreams. Mory’s motorbike has a cow’s skull pinned to the front, symbol of his roots as a herdsman. In the same way, the film itself is a fascinating hybrid: at the level of form and content, it sits astride Western youth and traditional Senegalese cultures.

Tagged with: Cinema The Art Of Change Returning the Colonial Gaze

Niger 1966 Dir Moustapha Alassane 34 min Video presentation

Senegal 1973 Dir Djibril Diop Mambety 85 min Digital presentation

Restored in 2008 by The World Cinema Foundation at Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata in association with the family of Djibril Diop Mambéty. Restoration funding provided by Armani, Cartier, Qatar Airways and Qatar Museum Authority.

The Film Foundation
World Cinema Project

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Screen Notes: Returning the Colonial Gaze

We spoke to our cinema curator Tamara Anderson to guide you through the films that make up this innovative and provocative season, Returning the Colonial Gaze and share our recommendations of what else you should be watching. 

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Barbican Cinema 3

Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you across the road to the venue. 

Address
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.