(This crucial pan-African film about the importance of remembrance does justice to those known as the Senegalese tirailleurs, the majority of whom were drafted into the French army against their will to fight the Nazis. After making substantial sacrifices and suffering thousands of casualties to defend France, the tirailleurs who had survived the war were nonetheless humiliated and mistreated by the French army. Instead of rewarding them, the French forces bombarded and massacred these soldiers when they demanded their right to the end-of-enlistment recompense. When the film was finished, Cannes 1988 rejected it. However, in September of the same year, it was screened as an official selection at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize.

Many African films have received the support of French funding, but Camp de Thiaroye is one of a series of films whose very existence French funders and producers did everything in their power to prevent. They argued that such films were highly subversive since they denounced the barbarity of colonization. A Western world that continues to brandish its claim to human rights was incapable of tolerating films about its criminal past. The film was only made possible by all-South funding from Morocco, Senegal and Guinea. When it became a hit at festivals around the world at the height of the African National Congress's anti-apartheid movement, a racist Swiss distributor purchased the exclusive distribution rights for the whole of the West at a high price - not so that he could distribute it, but simply to ensure it would be fully blocked for the ten years of its contract. (Mohamed Challouf)

Restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with the Tunisian Ministry of Culture and the Senegalese Ministry of Culture and Historical Heritage. Special thanks to Mohammed Challouf. Restoration funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. This restoration is part of the African Film Heritage Project, an initiative created by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project, the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers and UNESCO - in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna - to help locate, restore, and disseminate African cinema.

(EN) This important pan-African film about the importance of remembrance pays tribute to the Senegalese Tirailleurs - the majority of whom were drafted into the French army against their will to fight the Nazis in World War II. Although they made enormous sacrifices and suffered thousands of casualties, the surviving Tirailleurs were humiliated and mistreated by the French army. Instead of rewarding them, French troops bombed and massacred those soldiers who merely demanded their rightful severance pay at the end of their military service. When the film was completed in 1988, Cannes rejected it. But in September of the same year, it was screened in the official competition at the Venice Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize.

Many African films were supported by French funding, but Camp de Thiaroye is one of a series of films that French financiers and producers did everything in their power to prevent from being made. They argued that such works were highly subversive, as they denounced the barbarity of colonization. A Western world that to this day claims to have human rights was not in a position to tolerate films about its own crimes. The film could only be made thanks to financing from the Global South - from Morocco, Senegal and Guinea. When it enjoyed great success at festivals worldwide at the height of the African National Congress' anti-apartheid movement, a racist Swiss distributor bought the exclusive rights for the entire West - not to actually show the film, but to ensure that it remained completely blocked for the duration of ten years. (Mohamed Challouf)

Restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project and the Cineteca di Bologna at the L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with the Tunisian Ministry of Culture and the Senegalese Ministry of Culture and Historical Heritage. Special thanks go to Mohamed Challouf. The restoration was funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation and is part of the African Film Heritage Project, an initiative of The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project, the Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and UNESCO - in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna - with the aim of localizing, restoring and making African cinema accessible worldwide.

Tickets are available now available in our website. Reserve soon, seating is limited.

https://sinematranstopia.com/de/sinema-5-years-5-films/camp-de-thiaroye

! The doors open one hour before the screenings.

SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA
Lindowerstr. 20/22
House C
13347 Berlin

Directions
U6 S + U Wedding
S41, S42
Bus: 120, 147, N6, N20