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Dakan (15*) + Introduction by Tara Brown

Queer 90s

Still from Dakan

The romance between two men is threatened by family intervention in Mohamed Camara’s ground-breaking drama from Guinea, hailed as the first West African film to depict homosexuality.

Dakan opens with two men kissing in a car, an extraordinarily frank depiction of same-sex passion for a film made in Guinea, a country where homosexuality is criminalised. When the men come out to the parents, the reaction is one of horror, and the men are separated and encouraged to settle down with women. But their love for each other is not so easily extinguished…

Camara’s film was hugely controversial in Guinea – the director has spoken of leaving screenings before the end, fearful of violence. After seeing the film, Senegalese director Djibril Diop Mambéty (Touki Bouki, 1973) told Camara, “you can be sure that your career is over, but in a hundred years, people will still talk about you.”

Tagged with: Cinema PRIDE 2023 Queer 90s

Guinea, France 1997, dir Mohamed Camara, 87 min

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.