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Over ten years ago, Ramata-Toulaye Sy made the decision to write her graduation script after completing a degree in screenwriting. Her objective was straightforward. As a 37-year-old Senegalese filmmaker from France, she wanted to create the most magnificent and captivating love story set in Africa. With a smile, she shares that growing up, many tales from Africa focused on suffering, hardship, and conflict. She wished to challenge this narrative and show that African stories could also depict the beauty of love between individuals.
“She stops and her smile grows wider. ‘Above all, I wanted to tell the tale of Juliet’s transformation into Lady Macbeth.’ This summary perfectly encapsulates her newly directed film, ‘Banel & Adama,’ which is adapted from that particular screenplay. This provocative, female-centric love story takes place in Senegal, and it was the sole debut film to compete in the primary category at the Cannes Film Festival last year, putting her up against established directors like Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes, and Ken Loach for the event’s top honor.”
In pictures taken on the red carpet, Sy exuded confidence in her Chanel outfit, appearing like a woman who is secure in her place and knows she belongs. However, her true emotions were quite different. Sy explains, “That was just my expression! I wasn’t actually happy. I was incredibly stressed. I didn’t know what to expect when I found out we were competing. It hit me when I was on the red carpet: I am at the Cannes Film Festival. It was really tough after that.”
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The story of Banel & Adama takes place in a countryside area of Senegal and follows the marriage of Banel (played by Khady Mane) and Adama (played by Mamadou Diallo), two 18-year-olds. They are completely enamored with each other and often stick together, though this draws disapproving glances from others in their village. Banel is fiercely independent and feels trapped in village life, constantly criticized for not being pregnant or feminine enough. There are also hints of danger in her character, as shown when she kills a songbird with a catapult.
Banel is a thrillingly flawed and complicated character. I tell Sy that she took a risk in writing a woman capable of being so unlikable. She nods. “I know that my character is really mean sometimes. But I did that on purpose, because we see a lot of unlikable white female characters: Medea, Phaedra, and now Gone Girl, or Killing Eve. But never a black female.
The creation of a weak, marginalized, and victimized black female character, particularly in Africa, is often seen as a political statement. By deliberately making the character unlikable, it challenges the stereotype and shows that African women can also possess depth and complexity.
Others have described Banel as unstable, self-centered, and cruel. However, Sy has a different perspective. She believes Banel’s behavior is influenced by societal oppression, particularly in regards to her life and femininity. Sy clarifies that she is not justifying Banel’s most severe actions, but the message of her film is to encourage women to be true to themselves. Whether that means not wanting children or not conforming to traditional clothing expectations, it should not be viewed as a problem.
Her original intention was not to take on the role of directing the film. During her upbringing in Paris, she aspired to become a novelist, and then a screenwriter.
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When she was young, she didn’t often go to the movies. She only went a few times a year with her classmates. However, she enjoyed watching popular films like Terminator, Indiana Jones, and Back to the Future at home with her siblings. Nowadays, she still enjoys watching exciting movies like Marvel films and Fast and Furious, particularly with some popcorn.
Sy’s parents are from Senegal. Her father, who works in a factory, motivated her to trust her own feelings. He told her, “You can pursue any path you choose. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you strive to be the best.” Sy felt a great deal of stress due to this pressure.
She is currently using Zoom to communicate from her residence in Paris. Following her graduation from the esteemed La Fémis film school in 2015, she relocated to Dakar and resided there for a period of time. During this time, she worked on rediscovering her identity and educating herself on her culture.
She launched her profession by collaborating on the screenplays for two movies, Sibel (2018) and Our Lady of the Nile (2019). She then began working as a script doctor. After the producer who purchased her script for Banel & Adama was unable to secure a director, she was encouraged to direct it herself.
Creating the movie presented many challenges. It takes place in Fouta, the hometown of her parents, which is a daunting eight-hour drive from Dakar. It took five months to carefully select ordinary people to play the characters. Just one month before filming, she noticed Khady Mane, a student who ended up portraying Banel, while walking down the street. “Our gazes met and she instantly grabbed my interest.” The team consisted of 85% Senegalese individuals.
The filming process was difficult, as we worked in sweltering heat of 50C in a village without electricity. While filming, Sy lost 10kg and only had a few hours of sleep each night. However, directing felt like the right fit for them: “It was challenging, as expected, but it felt innate.”
During interviews, Sy has shared that Banel reflects a significant part of her own experiences and personality, particularly her rebellious nature during her youth. She explains that her upbringing followed traditional African customs which placed expectations on women to get married early, have children, and own a home. However, at 37 years old, she has not followed this traditional path and is not married, does not have children, and has not settled down. She has always strived to be true to herself, rather than conform to societal norms.
Was she like most teenagers, spending nights out and partying? The concept makes her chuckle. “Not at all! I was a studious young girl. I didn’t have many romantic relationships. It was perhaps more complex than that. I craved a sense of rebellion in my life, you know?” She pauses, gesturing and reaching for the endless possibilities. “I strived to be like Maya Angelou. I aspired to be like Toni Morrison. I yearned to be that type of woman.”
The UK release date for Banel & Adama is 15 March.
Source: theguardian.com
