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Contras' City poster

Contras' City

1969 · 0h 22m · Documentary

Watch it tonight if you crave something genuinely artistic and unconventional—this is a poetic, experimental doc from a visionary African filmmaker that captures Dakar's soul through intimate dialogue and gorgeous contrasts, not slick production. Skip it if you need traditional narrative structure or straightforward storytelling, because Mambéty's meandering style demands patience and an open mind.

Plot

A fictional documentary that portrays the city of Dakar, Senegal, as we hear the conversation between a Senegalese man (the director, Djibril Diop Mambéty) and a French woman, Inge Hirschnitz. As we travel through the city in a picturesque horse drawn wagon, we chaotically rush into this and that popular neighborhood of the capital, discovering contrast after contrast: A small African community waiting at the Church's door, Muslims praying on the sidewalk, the Rococo architecture of the Government buildings, the modest stores of the craftsmen near the main market.

Director: Djibril Diop Mambéty

Cast: Djibril Diop Mambéty, Inge Hirschnitz

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