A young couple in Senegal must content with the disapproval of their remote village. Banel & Adama premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2023, where competed for the Palme d’Or.
Banel and Adama are young adults in their late teens who live in a remote village in northern Senegal. Adama is quiet and introverted, while Banel is passionate and rebellious. Adama and Banel fall in love and decide to live separately from their families so that they can live together. When Adama refuses to fulfil his birthright to serve as the village’s future leader, chaos ensues in the community.
Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s debut feature Banel & Adama showcases the mythic love between the eponymous couple in a remote Senegalese village, but it is the conjunction in the title that is at the heart of this scorching romantic drama. “Without Adama, you’re nothing”, quips Banel’s twin brother, upset at his sister’s fanatic attachment to her new husband.
Adama, for his part, has turned down his hereditary right to be the village chief, content instead to live in marital bliss with Banel. Together, they work at unearthing a house buried in sand outside the village, hoping to carve out a private niche away from this community where everything unfolds in public spaces. However this spirit of independence won’t be easily tolerated, and the village is soon visited upon by a deadly drought, severely straining the bond between the lovers.
As Banel, Khady Mane traverses the terrains of infatuation, determination, obsession and guilt with conviction and an almost evangelical fervour. Her emotional capacities grow as the film itself expands from a gentle ode to teenage romance to an operatic saga of divine tribulations. Through her persistence, Banel & Adama unveils a star-crossed love story of Biblical proportions.
FAQ
What is Banel & Adama release Date?
Banel & Adama Movie Release Date Is 7 June 2024.
What is the genre of Banel & Adama?
The movie Banel & Adama belonged to the Drama, Romance.
Who directed Banel & Adama?
The Banel & Adama was directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy.
Where was Banel and Adama filmed?
Senegal. This first feature, only the second ever from a Black woman to compete at Cannes in it’s 76 year history, is brilliantly performed by a non-professional cast and shot on location in Senegal in 2022.
