DISCUSSION GUIDE

©2005 The CW Film Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Produced in collaboration with The Museum of Modern Art.

Kabala

1 INTRODUCTION

2 ABOUT THE FILMSynopsisCharacters

3 VOCABULARY

4 ABOUT THE DIRECTORDirector’s StatementBiography of Assane Kouyaté

5 GUIDE FOR VIEWING THE FILMFilm Aesthetics and Techniques

6-7 PROFILE OF MALI: STATISTICS

8-9 PROFILE OF MALI: BACKGROUND

10-12 STORY BACKGROUNDImportant Themes Explored in

the Film Kabala

13 ONLINE RESOURCES

14 2005 GLOBAL FILM INITIATIVE PARTNERS

For information on the other Global Lens films anddiscussion guides, visit our website www.globalfilm.org

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTSKABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE

1Introduction

Each year The Global Film Initiative selects films from developing countries to be presented through the Global Lensseries, in collaboration with museums, film societies and other cultural institutions across America. The GlobalFilm Initiative is pleased to share Kabala with audiences who may find resonance in its story of conflict betweenancient beliefs and modern realities.

Each film is accompanied by a discussion guide that provides a context for stories and cultural settings whichmay be unfamiliar. This is the discussion guide for the film Kabala, written and directed by Assane Kouyaté.

“About the Film” includes a synopsis of the film, a statement by Assane Kouyaté, and his biography. “Profile ofMali” sets a historical, geographic and cultural context for Mali and the village of Kabala. “Guide for Viewing theFilm” and “Story Background” present examples of film techniques and discussion topics, to enable viewers toengage directly with the story. Additional resources and suggestions for further information complete the guide.

We hope that you will feel free to adapt the materials as appropriate to your needs, and we hope you will let usknow the responses of viewers to the film. We also appreciate your feedback about the discussion guide, andhow you incorporate the guide in screening this film. To share your comments or to make suggestions, pleasewrite to us at discussionguides@globalfilm.org.

INTRODUCTIONKABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE 1

2About the Film

Original Title: KabalaEnglish Title: KabalaCountry: MaliLanguage: Bambara with subtitles in EnglishYear: 2002Running Time: 112 minutesFormat: 35mm

SYNOPSIS

Hamalla is a young man born and raised in Kabala, a poor farming village on the edge of the desert. He willmarry the beautiful Sokona, once he passes the ironmaster’s test of manhood – not a test of skill or intellect, butof birth. Hamalla’s anguished father knows that his son will fail the test, because Hamalla’s mother is not amember of the agriculture caste – she is Yassa, born into the ironmaster’s caste, the artisans, toolmakers, andpractitioners of magic. Hamalla is exiled from the village – from his father, his sweetheart, and the mother henever knew.

After working in the gold mines of southern Mali for several years, Hamalla hears a radio report of an outbreak ofcholera in Kabala. The village elders won’t allow the sacred well to be touched, no matter how contaminated,and they won’t allow drilling for new wells. Hamalla is determined to return home, to find a way to reach thefresh water lying deep beneath the sacred well. It will take strong magic and madness to overcome the people’sfears so the village can be saved.

CHARACTERS

Hamalla The main character, son of Badji and YassaSokona Hamalla’s sweetheart, promised to Badji’s familyFakourou The ironmaster, magician and keeper of the ancestors’ spiritsSériba Hamalla’s half brother, son of his father’s marriage within the family’s casteBadji Father of Hamalla and SéribaSibiri Friend who owes Badji a favor as a result of Badji’s heroic actions when they were soldiersDjeliba Friend of BadjiYassa Hamalla’s mother, magician, member of the ironmasters caste

ABOUT THE FILMKABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE 2

3Vocabulary

Bambara The predominant tribe in southwest Mali, the Bambara are tall, slender people who date theirancestry to the legendary Mandé empire of West Africa.

Cholera Bacterial infection of the intestines, caused by water polluted with sewage. Symptoms includediarrhea and vomiting which may be severe enough to cause rapid loss of body fluids, leading todehydration, shock, and death within a matter of hours.

Kuludankun Oracle of the village of Kabala, who “only gives his opinion on serious matters.” He is known tothe village as a spirit who “has never misled us.”

Mandé West African culture dating back a thousand years to the great empires of Mali. Mandé cultureis structured into castes reflecting the predominantly agricultural way of life and reliance onartisans to manufacture tools and farming implements. Mandé culture is known for its complexanimist religion, artistry and music.

KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE VOCABULARY 3

4About the Director

KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE ABOUT THE DIRECTOR 4

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENTFrom an interview with Assane Kouyaté, by Grégory Alexandre (Ciné Live):

HOW WAS “KABALA” BORN?

From an anecdote. I travel a lot, especially through Mali. One day I visited a town facing a serious water problem.The residents only had one well but refused to dig up another. I didn’t understand; and they said: “This wellnever dried up, and the water spirit one day said to our ancestors that if we respected the traditions, we wouldalways have water.” The water problem in Africa always interested me since the continent works in asymptomatic way. The general idea of the movie comes with the understanding that progress may only come fromwithin the country. In the movie, I use the bicycle and the dynamite -that do not belong to this place- as exteriorand symbolic aides; but at the end of the story, the characters end up taking charge of the situation and solvingtheir problem. The message is that it is necessary to count on oneself and one’s talent.

BIOGRAPHY

Assane Kouyaté was born in 1954 in Bamako,the capital city of Mali. His last name,Kouyaté, is the family name of the lineage ofstorytellers and musicians in West Africa.Known as griots, or djelis, the artists of theKouyaté family trace their ancestry to the veryfirst griot, Balla Fasseke Kouyaté, who servedthe emperor Sundiata in the 13th century.

In 1979 Assane Kouyaté received a DESS inModern Letters in l’Ecole Normale Supérieure(Normal Superior School). He studiedfilmmaking at the Cinematography Institute ofMoscow, earning a degree in Advanced Studiesof Cinematography in 1989. He worked assecond assistant to the Russian director SeguéiSalavior in the motion picture “The Dove,”which received the Best Photography Award atthe Venice Festival in 1988. Kouyaté continuedto develop his directorial skills in the formats ofdocumentary and short films; he was firstassistant to Pablo Cesar, the Argentine director,on the film “Afrodita” in 1988. “Kabala” is hisfirst motion picture.

Source: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/mediasociete/cinema.gb/cooperation/production/films/2002/film10.html

5Guide for Looking at the Film

KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE GUIDE FOR LOOKING AT THE FILM 5

FILM AESTHETICS AND TECHNIQUES

Film is unique as an art form in its synthesis of visual arts, writing, drama, movement, and sound. The followingnotes about film aesthetics and technique can provide a focus for viewing and discussing the film.

Composition of the ImageColor and line; size and distance (long shot, medium shot, close-up). The director uses the technique of ‘mise enscène’ – in French, placing on the stage – to frame an image using the elements of setting, costume, colors, lightingand sound. The position and behavior of the actors is crucial to the composition, as is the choice of cameras andlenses, where they are placed and how they move during the shot.

Kabala is a town on the edge of the desert, where the struggle for adequate food and water are a daily fact of life. Thefilmmaker uses the colors of the desert to make us feel the unrelenting heat and dust – the ochre of dry grasses, dullreds of rocks and soil, shimmering glare of the white-hot sky.

Music and SoundMusic may be used to emphasize a dramatic moment. Natural sounds from the environment may add texture to ascene. Sound effects such as a gunshot or crash can heighten drama. Sound can be used to suggest offscreenspace, such as hearing action that takes place out of the frame.

The magic of the ironmasters is enhanced by the haunting murmur during scenes in which Faroukou and Yassa weavetheir spells. Faroukou shouts to the spirits to create fire; Yassa whispers to stir the winds.

Narrative Structure Beginnings and endings of films contain important clues to the arc of the story: Why does the film begin as it does?Why does the film conclude with this scene? What is the significance of the final image?

Conflict is the backbone of traditional dramatic structure. Stories usually revolve around the actions of one majorcharacter. Act One introduces the conflict, Act Two elaborates on it, and Act Three resolves it. However, dramaticstructure in world cinema may involve other narrative strategies. The story may highlight the events of everyday life,for example. The story may focus on several characters rather than an individual. The structure may be episodic orcircular rather than linear, and the film may conclude without a clear resolution.

The underlying struggle of “Kabala” is between the practitioners of magic – Yassa, Hamalla’s mother, and Faroukou, whoruns the village foundry. Both belong to the caste of ironmasters, separated from the life of the village but revered fortheir access to magic. Faroukou rages at any attempt to bring fresh water to the village as the keeper of the spirits ofthe ancestors. Yassa, who has lost not only her son, Hamalla, but her entire family, expresses a spirit of life through hermagic. Both are killed by Faroukou’s violence – Yassa by fire, and Faroukou himself by the contaminated well.

6

KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE PROFILE OF MALI: STATISTICS 6

SIZE: 482,077 square miles, more than the combined sizeof California and Texas

POPULATION: 13.4 million people (UN, 2004)

RELIGION: 90% Muslim, but with ancestral beliefs strongamong rural populations

LANGUAGES: Official language is French, but 80% of thepeople speak local languages, particularly Bambara

LIFE EXPECTANCY: 48 years for men, 49 years for women

ETHNIC GROUPS: Mandé (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole) –50%, Fulani nomads – 17%, Voltaic groups – 12%,Songhai – 6%, Tuareg and Moor – 5%.

GEOGRAPHY: More than half of Mali’s total land area isdesert. Following decades of deforesting and poorland management, the Sahara is steadily reclaimingfarmland north of the Niger River, leaving tribes ofnomads increasingly destitute. The greenbelt along theNiger River provides most of the country’s farmland,for crops including cotton and rice. South andsouthwest is savannah – grasslands with little rainfalland few trees — and rocky Sahel, the “shore” of thedesert, suitable for some grazing and farming. Bycontrast, the southernmost Sikasso region, borderingthe Côte d’Ivoire, has ample rainfall and richfarmland. The greenbelt along the Senegal River andits tributaries, west of Bamako, also provides a moresuitable climate for growing cotton, the country’s mostimportant crop.

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Profile of Mali: Statistics

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KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE PROFILE OF MALI: STATISTICS 7

Profile of Mali: Statistics

Courtesy of The General Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.

HOW FAR IS IT FROM KABALA TO:

Bamako 68 milesTimbuktu 436 Cairo 2,756 Casablanca 1,490London 2,755Paris 2,603Madrid 1,972

New York 4,464Baghdad 3,562Rio de Janeiro 3,425Johannesburg, South Africa 3,543Mecca 3,162Jerusalem 3,016

CLIMATE: Desert to the north of the Niger River; subtropical south, with a rainy season from June to November and cool,dry weather to February.

NATURAL RESOURCES: Gold, salt, limestone, marble, phosphates. For centuries Mali’s wealth from its gold and salt minesprovided the backbone of empires. New focus on the gold mines of the south offers optimism for the long-term economicfuture of the country.

CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Encroachment of the Sahara north of the Niger River has rendered much of Maliuninhabitable; droughts in the 70s and 80s aggravated already difficult conditions for agriculture. Even in recent years ofadequate rainfall, farming has been undermined by plagues of locusts. In such an inhospitable setting, deforestation andover-farming of available land have made life in the Sahel marginal, with life expectancy of less than 50 years.

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KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE PROFILE OF MALI: BACKGROUND 8

MALI, EMPIRE OF THE LION KING

The majority of Malians today are the heirs of great West African trading empires that reached the height of their wealthand influence more than 500 years ago. The traders traveled the Sahara by camel caravan, the “ships of the desert,”carrying gold and salt from the mines of Mali to great cities of the Mediterranean coast and the Middle East.

The Age of EmpiresThe legendary Sundiata Keita (13th-century) founded one of the great West African empires, by consolidating the traderoutes that crossed the desert. He was known as a magician, and was one of the greatest leaders in African history. It wasthe legends of Sundiata, whose name means “hungering lion,” which formed the basis for the Disney film, The Lion King.

Legends say that Sundiata had a weak and sickly childhood; he could not walk and rarely spoke. One day the boyenlisted the help of an ironmaster, one of the “handlers of power,” to make an iron rod so he could walk. The boy raisedhimself up to the astonishment of all, bending the rod into a bow. On the spot, a storyteller composed the “Hymn to theBow,” which is sung to this day. His mother took Sundiata into exile, fearing reprisals from relatives jealous of the youngheir to the throne. In distant lands the boy learned to hunt, and developed courage and wisdom as he grew to be a man.

He returned triumphant to Mali, having defeated local chieftains in West Africa to establish the foundation for his empire,which eventually extended far beyond the modern boundaries of Mali, into Senegal, Mauritania and Guinea. In additionto trading, Sundiata re-established agriculture in his empire, through cultivation and weaving of cotton, Mali’s mostimportant crop.

Although Sundiata ruled for only 25 years, his empire lasted for more than a hundred years, as his successors extendedthe power and influence of Malian traders. They built the great cities of Timbuktu, Djenné and Gao into centers oflearning and culture, with beautiful mosques and universities. However, when the last of the great leaders was gone,bitter fighting destroyed the empire and its vast stores of wealth.

The Colonial Powers and the Collapse of Empires From the late 15th to the 19th century, there were no leaders strong enough to bring peace among the ethnic groups ofMali. Meanwhile, the region was distracted, and then dominated, by sea-going traders from Portugal, France, theNetherlands and England. The Europeans developed ports along the West Africa coastline, diverting trade – and gold –from the old routes through the desert. By the mid-19th century, the French developed a base of influence in what wascalled Soudan. By late in the 19th century, the French consolidated their colonies under the Federation of French WestAfrica. The French settled down to manage their African colonies, and Malians who had resisted colonial rule returned totheir difficult existence at the edge of the Sahara, mostly ignoring their distant rulers.

In the centuries of empire, Mali accumulated vast wealth through their trade in their greatest resource, the gold from themines south of the Niger River. With the loss of trade to the Europeans, the tribes of Mali were left with the marginaleconomy forced on them by the poverty of their landscape – subsistence farming, with sorghum and millet as major foodcrops; fishing, for those living in the green belts of the Niger and Senegal Rivers, and raising livestock in grasslandssuitable only for grazing. The struggle to survive keeps family and village groups tightly knit, honoring their famousancestors and raising their children in a style of life that has persisted nearly unchanged for generations.

Profile of Mali: Background

9

KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE PROFILE OF MALI: BACKGROUND 9

Daily Life among the Bambara The predominant tribe of southwest Mali is the Bambara, a people who are are noted worldwide for their arts –sculpture, weaving, pottery, and music. They live in villages organized around family groups, with severalgenerations and as many as 60 people living in mud-brick homes around a central courtyard. Family life isconducted in the courtyard – babies are raised, food is prepared and cooked, visitors are welcomed and therituals and routines of life occur.

The Bambara are organized by caste. The agricultural caste traces its ancestry directly to Sundiata and thenobility of the empires. The caste of ironmasters consists of the village smiths, craftsmen and artists. Bothcastes carry considerable prestige, but remain highly suspicious of one another. Intermarriage is not acceptable,and children born outside their fathers’ castes are bastards.

The caste of agriculture. People who work the land are descended from the warriors and nobility as wellas the farmers of the Malian empires. As cultivators and herders of livestock, they represent by far themajority of the population of a village. They provide the nourishment to support the village as a whole,including the craftsmen and artists of the ironmaster caste.

The ironmasters. The men among the ironmasters’ caste run the village forge, building and repairing toolsfor farming and the households of their neighbors. They live and work on the outskirts of the village,despite their importance to its survival. Craftsmen of the ironmasters’ caste include leatherworkers andweavers. Some are poets. The women may become skilled at pottery. Most important, the ironmastersare magicians, the keepers of the traditions and rituals of the tribe.

The force of nyama. The ironmasters have access to the power of nyama, the life force of the universe,which gives them authority to declare what is sacred and what is rejected. The son of an ironmasterspends years learning to handle this power, which derives its goodness or evil from the way it is used.Ironmasters assert their authority in the village through their knowledge and use of nyama.

The village of Kabala. Kabala is a village of about 1,400 people 68 miles southwest of Bamako, the capital of Mali. The village islocated in the Sahel, with its rocky landscape, scarce water, and temperatures greater than 100° most days of theyear. Kabala is surrounded by fields and mango groves, and nearby is the Baoulé River. Although there is clearlywater to support the mango trees, the growing season is too short to provide any more than the barest subsistencefor the village.

Sources for Profile of Mali and Background: The World Factbook: Mali, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ml.htmlBBC News, Country Profiles: Mali, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1021454.stm Surface distance between Two Points: http://www.wcrl.ars.usda.gov/cec/java/lat-long.htmCivilizations in Africa: Mali, by Richard Hooker, http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/CIVAFRCA/MALI.HTMAfrica People and Culture: http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/bambara.htm

Profile of Mali: Background

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In Kabala, Assane Kouyaté depicts powerful ancient beliefs threatening the survival of a village. He uses fire and magicspells, poetry and madness to express, simultaneously, the beauty of a way of life that has changed little over thecenturies, and the peril to survival that comes from resisting modern ways.

The structure and pace of this film may be unfamiliar to American audiences. Story elements may be presented infragments and the filmmaker’s intentions may not be obvious – just as events occur in life, but not always as we areaccustomed to seeing them in film. Viewers are encouraged to notice the film techniques used to “put us in the scene” –the dry and dusty palette of the parched earth; the raw music of the reed interwoven with human voices, the powerfulrhythms of ritual and magic, the intense humanity of Yassa’s song of loneliness and the urgency of Hamalla’s mad chants.

IMPORTANT THEMES EXPLORED IN THE FILM KABALA

Scenes from Kabala have been organized around the themes of “The Power of Rejection,” “Magic and Madness,” and“Survival on the Edge of the Desert.” These themes provide a lens for focusing attention while viewing the film.

Watch for particular scenes or events that correspond to a particular theme, making mental or written notes as to howthe theme is explored in the film. Note whether the film developed the theme as might be expected, and if not, whathappened instead. For each theme, scene references are provided along with questions to encourage discussion.

Story Background

KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE STORY BACKGROUND 10

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KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE STORY BACKGROUND 11

THE POWER OF REJECTION

1. Hamalla learns of his birth as a 20-year-old man, when he fails the ironmaster’s test of fire. In an instant hebecomes an outcast, a young man with no future in the only home he’s ever known. How would you explain Badji’s action in allowing his son to fail the test?

2. Hamalla confronts his natural mother, demanding to know why she gave him up. “I didn’t give you away,” she tellshim. “It was best for you to stay with your father. One day you will understand.” How would you explain Yassa’s action in giving up her son?

3. As an outcast, Hamalla loses his sweetheart, the beautiful Sokona. She was promised to the family of Badji, whomust choose which of his two sons will be her husband. When Hamalla returns to the village several years later,Sokona is still single – Badji has not promised her to his other son, Sériba. How does Sokona seem to handle her fate?

4. When Hamalla tries to explore the sacred well, the villagers shake their heads. “I admire your courage,” he is told,“but our traditions are strong.” Faroukou the magician warns him to stay away – “touching this well is puremadness!” What is Hamalla’s solution? What impact does he have on the village? On Faroukou?

5. As Faroukou writhes in pain from cholera, he confesses his terrible sins against Hamalla and his family, and hedescribes how Hamalla’s half-brother, Sériba, was involved. How does the village deal with Sériba? What are your thoughts about this form of punishment?

MAGIC AND MADNESS

6. Faroukou the ironmaster is the “handler of power” in the village of Kabala. What is Faroukou’s role in relation to the sacred well? In relation to the village elders?

7. Faroukou and Yassa use their ironmasters’ magic to manipulate the lives of Hamalla and Sériba. What characteristics make Faroukou’s magic different from Yassa’s?

8. Sokona sees Hamalla at the sacred well, as she carries her bowl of filthy brown water. “You can’t redig the well,it’s impossible!” she cries. He replies, “It’s only a well like any well.” “I wasn’t sure but now I am,” she says.“You’re mad!” What makes Sokona angry enough to call Hamalla “mad”?

9. As Faroukou lies dying, he confesses the many ways he has used his power over nyama – the life force – for evil.Yet the village elders want to summon doctors to help him recover. How do the elders appear to feel about Faroukou and his magic powers?

Story Background

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KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE STORY BACKGROUND 12

Story Background

SURVIVAL ON THE EDGE OF THE DESERT

10. Trucks, a bicycle and dynamite: three modern elements that seem totally out of place in a village on the edge ofthe Sahara. How do these objects fit into the life of the village?

11. Aid workers arrive from Bamako with chlorine bleach, which can be added to the filthy water from the sacredwell to make it safe. How do the village elders arrive at a solution for making the water safe?

12. When Sokona learns that she will be given to Sériba instead of Hamalla, her mother tells her not to cry – “you’llembarrass me!” Does she not realize that her mother married in the same way? Sokona runs to Yassa forcomfort, and Yassa says, “That’s love in full force.” What is “love in full force”? What are some examples of Yassa’s behavior in the film that demonstrate “love in full force”?

13Online Resources

KABALA: DISCUSSION GUIDE ONLINE RESOURCES 13

The World Factbook: Mali, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ml.html

BBC News, Country Profiles: Mali, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1021454.stm

Surface distance between Two Points: http://www.wcrl.ars.usda.gov/cec/java/lat-long.htm

Civilizations in Africa: Mali, by Richard Hooker: http://www. wsu.edu:8000/~dee/CIVAFRCA/MALI.HTM

Smithsonian Museum of African Art: Mali Empire, http://www.nmafa.si.edu/educ/mali/

The Jembetat Gallery of African Art: http://www.jembetat.com/

Africa People and Culture: http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/bambara.htm

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