Hyenas (1992)

Hyenas (1992)

A striking Senegalese film adapted from a Swiss-German tragicomedy, Hyenas is a haunting journey into the depths of human greed and moral decay

The Very Best

8.4

Movie

France, Italy
French, Japanese, wolof
Comedy, Drama
1992
DJIBRIL DIOP MAMBÉTY
110 min

What it's about

A now-rich woman returns to her poor desert hometown to propose a deal to the populace: her fortune, in exchange for the death of the man who years earlier abandoned her and left her with his child.

The take

Restored in 2019, Djibril Diop Mambéty's adaptation of the 1956 play, The Visit, presents a powerful allegory of societal decay through the story of Linguère Ramatou, a woman who returns to her impoverished hometown with an offer that can change everything. Mambéty's skillful direction captures the complexities of human nature and the moral choices we face in a world driven by greed and corruption in a global capitalist world. The narrative unfolds with precision, blending dark humor and piercing social commentary. With or without the context of its original influence, Hyenas is a brilliant Senegalese film.

 

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