La Genèse

If Adam and Eve were black – as many evolutionary biologists propose metaphorically – then why not the patriarch Jacob? La Genèse of the Malinese film-maker Cheick Oumar Sissoko is the first film from the African continent based on a story from the Old Testament. It may be a good idea for the less well-versed in the scriptures to read Genesis, chapters 23-27 before seeing the film. It tells the tragic story of the conflicts between the clans of the shepherd Jacob (and his less respectable sons), farmer Hamor the Hivite and the hunter Esau (played by the Malinese singer Salif Keita), who avenges the trick by which Jacob once stole his birthright. Meanwhile, Jacob assumes that his dearly beloved son Joseph is dead. The son of Hamor wants to marry Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, reason enough for her brothers to want all the Hivites to be circumcised. This epic filmed in the stunning scenery of Mali tells a universal story at the meeting point of three monotheistic religions. Its topical significance is all too clear: the conflicts between peoples about the use of the land and differing morals lead to dramatic scenes. Sissoko’s often poetic film has a great score, comprising both traditional and modern elements of African music. Much research and attention is contributed to the production design with wonderful costumes and headdresses.