Washington, DC — FARAW! Mother of the Dunes, is a sentimental film about the many challenges and roles a woman has as a mother and wife. The main character Zamiatou (Aminta Ousmane) is a fictional character based off of filmmaker Abdoulaye Ascofare’s mother as well as African women as a whole. The film takes place in Mali and surrounds the daily struggles of Zamiatou and her role as wife, mother and breadwinner.

The beginning of the film opens with the rising of the sun, representing a new day in the life of Zamiatou and her family. Zamiatou’s children include her daughter Hareyrata (Saflatou Makamane) and two sons (Oumar M’Barek and Hamel M’Barek). We begin to see the struggles the family faces as Zamiatou tells Hareyrata to go to the storekeeper to see if he will extend their credit, so they may have more grain for food, and Zamiatou feeds and cleans her mentally and physically ailing husband (Balla Moussa Keita), a victim of political persecution. While feeding her husband, her sons inform Zamiatou the town is saying that their father has gone mad.

Upon Hareyrata’s return home, without the grain, Zamiatou’s frustrations are heartening as she goes to town and looks for domestic work. Upon being told she is too old Zamiatou returns to town with Hareyrata and is offered 10,000 francs for her daughter.   The catch is the offer is for her to prostitute her daughter, not for domestic work. With no income, a husband unable to work, and children to care for, Zamiatou must make hard choices, choices that will impact the survival of her entire family.

Faraw! Mother of the Dunes: Mali, 1997, 90min, drama, Songhaï with English subtitles. Directed by Abbdoulaye Ascofaré.

Chazzten Pettiford is a junior advertising major in the John H. Johnson School of Communications at Howard University.