Dakan (French / Mandingo) [Destiny]

This film is from way back 1997 and I will not be surprised if this is the first and probably the only few gay themed films I know of from Western African continent. The film is very much out there. It does seem low on production values and slightly amateurish, but maybe that's just how things were. There in the country back then. So I watched this film with a very open mind.

Manga and Sory are two young men studying in school and very much in love with each other. Manga tells his widowed mother of the relationship, and Sory tells his father. Both parents forbid their sons to see each other again. Surprisingly their classmates are very supportive of the relationship. Manga's mother turns to witchcraft to cure her son, and he unsuccessfully undergoes a lengthy form of aversion therapy over multiple years. We don't see much of Sory during this time, although we do know that he is not interested in running his father's business but wants to do farming in a village. Manga meets and becomes engaged to a white woman called Oumou. Meanwhile Sory also marries a girl. Both men try to make their heterosexual relationships work but are ultimately drawn back to each other. Manga visits Sory in his village and meets his family. The end is with two men driving together towards an uncertain future. 

I can't even imagine how the film would have been received when it came out. I mean, even in today's time, homosexuality is still a very much taboo subject in most of Africa. It was very refreshing to see how their classmates were all comfortable with their relationship and even supportive. The parents reactions were understandable. The whole conversion therapy, mixed with religion, spirituality again is something that's a very real issue in many countries there. Manga and Sori are two symbolic characters who have chosen to define love and express it with whom they feel attracted despite the challenges and persecution. This act is a noble one to their conscience and the innocent lover. Families are very important in African culture and you can see that younger folks keep their happiness second to the family's needs; which is what both Sory and Manga do. Even though hopefully the future is bright for two men, you really feel bad for women who they leave behind. It was no fault of theirs. The film, as you can imagine, feels dated and a bit amateurish in a lot of places. The characters suddenly jump into this shouting mode to put forward their point which just seems quite unreal. The whole therapy sequence goes on for way too long and can easily be trimmed.

Thankfully this is a film about love and not sex. There is nothing stereotypical about the film, although this is far from being perfect (amateur acting and direction at places); but it does pack a lot of events in its short time. It is definitely worth giving a try. (5/10)