Ceddo - 1977 - , with English and French subtitles

"Outsiders" Someone has kidnapped Princess Dior Yacine! Someone has kidnapped Princess Dior Yacine! Someone has kidnapped Princess Dior Yacine! Apart from animals, only slaves are bound. And you're the only slave here. Don't you know who I am? Before the sun sets, you will regret this deed. -Fara Tine! -Yes. Tell this woman, that we have taken her here, in order to end... the submission... of which we are all victims. We do not wish to become Muslims. and we reject this imposition. It's a matter of her life or mine. Such is my will! Fara Tine, tell him again... that his deed is possible for all men. And tell him that if men are different, women are as well. Fara, let him know, that I shall only leave here... riding atop his back. Or if he is dead, straddling his corpse. Such is my will! Look at this rope. if you cross it, I'll kill you. Listen! Listen! The king summons the people to the square. All are required to be present: men, women and children. Anyone who stays back will be punished, and their possessions seized. Stand by to be addressed! Princess Dior Yacine has been kidnapped. You are all required to be present. By the edict of our Imam every Ceddo must carry a bundle of sticks. Any dissenters will be castigated. Pick up your bundles! The king and his court approach! Daali, your people are listening. Your rule is favored by Allah. These Ceddo... who refuse conversion, are destined to burn in hell. These citizens, slaves to the throne, have dared to carry away Dior Yacine, your eldest daughter. Daali... do not be generous. They have boldly defied you. Daali, say the command and the earth will be red today... with their blood. -Jaraaf! -Tioub. Ask Diogo, why there is a Samp. Diogo, the king asks about the significance of the Samp. -Jaraaf! -Tioub. I have freed Diogo of his burden. It's true, Tioub. Diogomay, the king relieves you of your burden. Allow me to relieve myself. I speak in the name of the Ceddo. -Jaraaf! -Yes. The king is righteous. Without having converted, merely because of my age, he has relieved me of my burden. -Jaraaf! -Yes. Tell the king, that this privilege... I'll reiterate what I've said. Jaraaf, tell the king that I refuse this privilege for myself alone... I have no need of his consideration. Jaraaf! Yes. The king must know that... the seed is the mother of the baobab tree. Unrespectful! Father, allow me to slit his throat for this insolence. Biram, you are a prince... a prince can never kill a representative. Who has made him a representative? If you are noble, I am a representative. Diogo, let these words... ring in your ears: that what the sick refuses would please the dead. Biram, I grew up with your father, we played together and mounted the same ponies... Look closely at the Samp. Your duty lies in rescuing your sister. Jaraaf, have Biram return to his place. We want to know the meaning of the Samp. We want the inequalities to stop. Our crops are our own. You must put an end to the looting... Demba War. As you are king, you must decree that... there will be no more persecution, and no more enslavement. The obligation to be Muslim shall be abolished... because no faith is worth a man's life. Allah forgive us! This oppression stops today. These are the reasons for the Samp. Regarding your daughter, Dior Yacine... Her life or ours. That's the meaning of the Samp! Amer who accepts you, submits to you... The wild... the reckless... the invincible. This is a day unlike the others. Beeg Neeg... refresh him! Water him! What did I tell you, Tison Ardent? The fearless, the indomitable... what do you desire? To sharpen your weapons? Sharpen them on this girl here... she is a slave. Your will shall be done! You have the right of life or death over her. Mugis, the lion's son. Mugis, we await your reply. Jaraaf, tell Demba War... that no water is sweet enough to refresh me... unless it is served by Dior Yacine. She is betrothed to me. I had accepted the conditions of the dowry. Enslaving these people, and bartering them for weapons... to the man with the red ears. When I learned of the kidnapping of Dior, all business ceased, and I rushed here. By the belt of my father, I shall rescue Dior. We shall be married today. -Jaraaf! -Yes. Fall, you are the seed of dynasties. Speak! Make it known to Saxewar, that as I live, Dior shall not be his wife. Dior is legitimately mine. You are not telling the truth, Fall. -I am the nephew of the king. -That is true. Dior is the daughter of my uncle, I am the nephew of the king and I have never relinquished my right to marry her. No one can testify otherwise. My uncle... permit me to confront the Ceddo. I swear to bring back Dior. Madior Fatim Fall... when a lizard mocks a turkey, he makes sure there is a tree nearby. Saxewar... should know that... the wind which knocks down the baobab tree, only bends the stem of the wheat. I will tell you again: Dior in my bed or in my grave. As much as I am the heir apparent, as much as Dior is legitimately mine. No... no... it's no longer like that. You are princes. One does not separate two bulls butting heads. Tioub, speak. We are listening to you. Jaraaf... The real truth. The mother of Madior is the firstborn of my father... Truth! If Madior's mother... were a man, she would be on the throne. Tioub, you give us both the bitter and sweet truth. Madior, I am your first cousin, You inherit my leftovers. Your marriage to Dior, I consent... but as to who takes the throne, there I oppose. No... no, we are Muslims. Islam forbids a matriarchy. Therefore, you must cease *** after the throne. Biram, we went through initiation together... nothing since has damaged our relationship, but what you have said is heavy with consequences. Where did you come by these ideas? From a saint among men, the Imam... who taught us of the Koran. Enlighten yourself! That is what I am going to do, Jaraaf. It is to the Imam that I address myself. Is a nephew still the heir to his uncle? From now on, the legitimate son, according to Muslim law, is the beneficiary. Such is the ordinance of Islamic law... recommended by the prophet. All Muslims must conform to it. You, Madior, are not an exception... to this rule. Imam, I do not subscribe to that, not today, not tomorrow. Don't you know that my uncle... on this throne, did not inherit it from his father, but from his uncle? He occupies this throne according to our way of life. His reign only exists by these people serving him. That ancient practice is forgotten... Islam categorically forbids it. Also, at that time, Demba War was not Muslim. Besides, Islam was not known in this country. I warn you that whosoever... attempts to resurrect this idolatry, will meet with me. I am not only here for Islam. Jaraaf, I address myself to my uncle. Am I the heir apparent? -Jaraaf! -Tioub. We are Muslims... the laws of Islam govern us. Allah be praised! My uncle, we are of the same flesh... You fed yourself from the same breast as my mother, the same blood runs in our veins. You preferred me to your son, you are now the first to violate our relationship. None of our ancestors have done what you do now. Covering the shadow does not prevent the thing itself from appearing. -Leyti! -Yes. Exchange this girl for some wine. Ah, you... I'm talking to you! What you have said is not true. A lie, when you declared that a nephew is not his uncle's heir. You lie today. Tomorrow as well... Your religious crusade must stop here, you would be insane to come to my land. I will make you understand, that one day with my disciples... I shall win a battle. And whoever opposes Islam... will be killed. Dead, and left unburied. I await you impatiently. If you want proof, ask this one. The bones of his peers bake in the sun, their skulls make up my religious charms. No one shall convert me. Pour! -Jaraaf! -Yes. Tell my uncle that from this day forward... nothing links us together. Tell the Imam, that I renounce his religion. Good heavens! Madior, if not for your birth... I would have made you carry sticks, I would have traded you... for the powder to load my guns. Biram, the one who squats is easiest to strike down. To feel and to sense nothing is more tender than grease. -Jaraaf! -Tioub. Biram will confront the Ceddo. Each guilty man... will be shot twice. The carriers will set down their burdens. The stick bundles will serve... to light up, in the coming night, the disciples of the Imam. Diogomay, do you hear me? Such is my will! Follow me! Follow me! The fearless, the brave, son after his father. The lion cub has grown up. The invincible son of the great lion... heir to the throne, protector of Dior... Noble people, admire... respect... the lion... the invincible... The royal Biram... The royal eagle. Father, be thanked! I praise you for having chosen me... to correct this insult. I swear by Allah... to bring back Dior. I have spoken! You are under the protection of Allah, you leave on a Jihad. You shall return victorious, Allah protects you. Surely! Biram, in the name of our brotherhood... Let me go to rescue Dior. I will give you one hundred pubescent slaves and as many head of livestock. Saxewar, let me kill him. Then you may come and take her for your wife. Some armed men are coming. I recognize one of them, it is Biram. The Samp precedes him, he has descended on his horse. He is approaching... Biram Ngone! I am not dead. They can come take the body. Madior approaches! Madior, enlighten us. The dead have no ambition, the earth is queen of beds. Some more men are coming. The gaze of the horseman blinds me. his burning eyes are like the sun. I can perceive the Samp, it is Saxewar. Dior, the villain is dead. Before leaving this place, I would like to stand on his corpse. My eyes... My eyes are burning! Dior, Dior, my rifle! Dior, give me my rifle! You missed me, villain. Cut to here. That's Biram's measurements. The bone merchant doesn't make a profit in the next world. Why can't we put two corpses in one grave? Being poorly laid to rest is not a comfort for a corpse. The real truth. Dig a second grave for a deceased lover. I said to Saxewar this morning: the wind which knocks down the baobab tree, only bends the stem of the wheat. Keep quiet! Don't you see that he was a heathen? Look at these braids! Carry his body out of the village! This council has a duty under the protection of Allah... and by the will of our king... to find a solution for the weak-willed Ceddo. They rebel against authority. The have killed Biram, the heir, and then Saxewar, the valiant. They hold Dior Yacine hostage. The council must suggest a solution to the king. If we give in to the will of the Ceddo, we will become their slaves and that would be a degradation. We must not let it come to that. Their insubordination is clearcut. Daali, the Ceddo ask for an audience with the council. Let them come. Let them enter. Tioub, we salute you. Our respects to the council. Beeg Neeg... convey our grievances. Only the concord guides our path. Beeg Neeg... make it known to the king... that we are very old. Since well before he succeeded his uncle on the throne, our country has never known a rift like today. The people groan. The country is divided into two camps. Two corpses divide these camps. And I have not left out Dior Yacine. who is held hostage. Her survival is not certain. Your Imam preaches... that once dead, you are destined for paradise and we are destined for hell. Jaraaf! Yes. Is a religion worth the life of a man? My response is... No. Allah forgive you! We demand the abolition... of religious persecution. We do not believe in your Allah, we should be left to our own beliefs. -Beeg Neeg! -Yes. I will add that no decision can be made without us. To the crowning of Demba War, we gave our consent. We are still representatives. As for your Allah, whatever he is: Keep him away! Your words are those of the impious. These men you see before you have killed Biram... a Muslim and a son of a Muslim. For this act alone they deserve death. This fact compels us, as Muslims, to fulfill our duty and persecute them, fight them, and cut them down to nothing... so that divine order can reign. As your Imam, my duty is to teach you... the dogmas and precepts of Islam, writings in the beautiful language... of the prophet Mohammed. In an assembly of Muslims... there is no place for an infidel. An infidel must not be allowed to speak. The power of Muslims is a gift from Allah. The life of these men is not worth even a piece of dung. It is ordained that these men shall no longer be addressed by word, and no longer given water to fill their wells. -Babakar! -Master. Remove these accursed men before I open my eyes. King, one who wears thick pants does not rewarm himself. The damned are gone, Master. Allah be praised! Allah be praised! Imam, you overstep your boundaries. Apart from presiding over prayer, you do not have the power to rule. As this is an assembly of believers, I have a right to speak. Daali, no one disputes you. The Imam merely warns... of the danger which menaces us. I, Laaman, attest to the words of the Teigne. The Ceddo debase your authority. They rebel against you. They killed your eldest son, your heir. They hold your daughter hostage. These facts prove their rebellion. The Imam wants to help you to avoid misfortune. That's the opposite of the truth. You, Laaman, you're lying! Laaman, you're not telling the truth. It is this man who is a danger. Where did he come from? Who is he? Who knows his Allah? Is his Allah better than our idols? There is a worm in the fruit, uncle. He wields more authority than you. It is he who is the misfortune. Madior Fatim Fall, your blood elevates you to your rank... but your tongue excludes you from it. Jaraaf... Teigne... Beeg Neeg... Laaman... all are pleased by the titles given to them by the king. Do not forget that royal blood runs through my veins. You are unworthy of your rank of nephew, and you deserve death. -Jaraaf! -Yes. When the horns bent, the head was there too. You all know why I do not want to lift the Samp. And I refuse to pick it up. There is the Samp! Madior, you renounce. Uncle... You had authority over me... on the condition that you respect our relationship. You could have sold me, bartered me, killed me, without having said a word. In front of all the people... you disowned me and broke our union. Even more so, your eldest daughter Dior, my legitimate wife, by the terms of our union, you have refused me her hand... in order to give her to Saxewar, a stranger to our family. Your two white accomplices... were set on your doorstep by the Imam. Uncle, your throne is corrupt. You are a palm tree... that does not cast a shadow on its roots. When a goat is devoured by a hyena, its skin can no longer be used as a coat. Demba War, Babakar will preside over the prayer. It time for the Salah. I have noticed that you never say king, and I do not know why. King? Don't you know that the only king is Allah? The creator of the earth and of heaven, your creator and mine and I live only for Him. Believers, follow me! The Tioub dynasty no longer has a male heir. Dior is the only heiress. What should we do? The thought of a woman on the throne is inconceivable. That will not do either today or tomorrow. Here is what needs to be done: the Imam must marry Dior. This union will solidify the position of the Imam... and when the Imam takes the throne, no one will have to reaffirm it. Let us pray that Allah grants your will. Your intentions are to be praised. But Demba War still lives, and Dior is held hostage! What can be done about this situation? Do we wish to be slaves? No... no... Should we be foolish enough to become slaves to the Ceddo? They will seize our goods and subjugate us. Demba War is getting older... We must accommodate Islam while preserving our customs. We must work to guarantee our privileges. Underestimation is mother to all deception. A community without a guide is like a body without a head. It was confirmed by the council, that we no longer have a place or the right to speak. The Imam has expelled us in the presence of Demba War. As far back as my memory goes, no council has ever been held without our presence... This expulsion is an insult! All we're left with to do, is to divide the country into two pieces, solidify our own camp, or else... exile or convert ourselves. Haven't you noticed that the Imam's followers are armed? Why? Their intentions are clearly apparent... Extremely apparent, even. We must decide for ourselves. The eye does not see that which resides inside it. The Imam has armed his disciples, true. This is to put us down, either peacefully or by force, to dominate us. The disciples that he educates today... will travel tomorrow from village to village, to enslave other Ceddo. Truth. There is only one alternative. What's that? One: accept conversion, the Imam brings you into the fold. Two: become armed and fight to the death. It is obvious. -Farba Diogomay! -Yes. We have no slaves to trade for rifles or for powder. Which solution should we adopt? We know the solution. What is it? The white man who gives out alcohol, in exchange for slaves, Man or woman, old or young... he gives you rifles and powder. Certainly. Farba Diogomay! Yes. Sacrificing one's children to save oneself... is a severe test for a father. Can an uncle inherit from a nephew? Morally, is it possible? When princes and noblemen... violate our daughters, trade our sons for rifles, shamefully we curse them. Dirty laundry does not come clean with saliva. Now, when it is necessary to act, we hesitate. The humiliations will only cease at the cost of our lives. It would be the white man, the princes, the noblemen, the Imam, they are the mosquitoes who will gain nourishment from our blood. Health is worth more than riches. I cannot sacrifice my livestock or my family. I am going to convert. I have spoken! Farba Diogomay. We, the people of Seneen, we have never been slaves and we have never enslaved others. Our concerns lie in weaving our own clothing and farming our own food. We stay true to our religious practices. We would not change this life for anything in the world. My family and I prefer exile. Diogomay, I have spoken. Your will be done! Diogomay! We who have stayed, we shall proceed like this: an adolescent, a young girl, in exchange for a rifle and some powder... an adult for two rifles and some powder. Tonight, meet back here... with our families. Pick up the body! -Babakar! -Master. The Ceddo are preparing... to kill us tonight. They seek weapons from the white man who sells alcohol. Find them... fight against them... it is a Jihad. Be firm, but tolerant... with those who submit to us. As for the holdouts, trade them... for weapons. If you are killed, you will have accomplished an act of faith... and you will go to paradise. Go, Allah guides you. Cover the body with Ngeer! Imam, be thanked... Long be your rule! People... This day... is a blessed day. The man who sits atop the throne... is a venerable man. -Jaraaf! -Yes. -Babakar! -Master. -Jaraaf! -Master. -Jaraaf! -Master. Go over there! You... you... and you... follow him! Babakar! Repeat my words to these people. Religious charms and idols are no longer allowed... and their worship, condemned. You must no longer cherish them. Debauchery... and inebriation are forbidden. I forbid you from reproducing the form of a human being... upon any surface available, metal or wood. No longer may you weave human faces into your clothes. I do not wish to see any of that. You must pray five times each day. Your children, boys and girls, must be taught the Koran. People, if you obey the new king believe in Allah, cease all fornication, lying, and drunkenness... you will go to paradise when you die. In paradise, you will know only a life of pleasures... for eternity. As for those who continue to practice paganism... or other condemned practices, if they are caught, they will come to know how this king differs from his predecessor. Babakar! Bring back Dior! Babakar, make them repeat! Repeat after me: I testify and give witness that there is no king... other than Allah who deserves veneration. Mohammed is his prophet. Your name is Ibrahima. Repeat! This man is named Ibrahima. Your name is Ousmane. Repeat! This man is named Ousmane. Some people are coming... They are sitting down... One of them is approaching, he is not armed. He does not have the Samp. What has happened in Seneen? It is no longer safe in the village. The king is dead. Killed by a snake, they say. The Imam has assumed power... exchanging some people for guns and converting the others to Islam by force. My family and I prefer exile. Dior Yacine, my condolences. Dior Yacine, my condolences. My pain belongs to all of us. We are going to exile ourselves. Come with us. Your father has been killed, and the Imam has usurped his power. My mother is alone in the village. I cannot come with you. The one who brought me here shall take me back. Some people are approaching... Two horsemen... They are armed... They do not have the Samp... They are the Imam's disciples. Thank you again. You are named Ismailia. His name is Ismailia. You are named Fatoumata, repeat! This woman is named Fatoumata. You are named Abdoulaye, repeat! This child is named Abdoulaye. This man is named Mahamadou.