Twist à Popenguine (1994) User Reviews

American + French + African(Wolof) = Popenguine, Senegal?

[GrowingMind · 8/10 · 21 October 2006]

Cultural mathematics might not be your thing, but in writer/director Moussa Sene Absa's 1994 film Ca Twiste a Popenguine, he portrays the influence of the American and French cultures upon the peoples of the town of Popenguine, Senegal during the mid-1960's. Absa does a good job of showing this cultural mix by focusing on a struggle between two cliques of teenagers and adds just enough humor to keep the film on a light note and interesting. The cliques have similarities in that they have both forsaken their parents' traditional garb for more Western/European styles and they listen to artists such as James Brown and Jimmy Hendrix. What separates the two groups involves what they have and don't have. The "Kings" have the only record player in town, but no girls in their group. The "Inseparables" have the girls, but no record player. Absa also shows the influence of the French colonialism with the school teacher Mr. Benoit who is sent from France to teach the children of Popenguine French language and literature. A subplot involves his struggles and acceptance by the townspeople. The actual conflict between the two groups, the Kings and the Ins, is the main storyline of the film and Absa uses that storyline to convey the theme that involves the changing from the native African Wolof culture brought on by the influence of American and French culture to a mixed culture.

Absa's use of untrained actors/actresses works well in this film by giving it a flavor of reality. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in seeing things from a non-western point of view or anyone wanting to see how different cultures interact and intertwine. If you do not like subtitled/foreign films, I would not recommend this movie unless you have a grasp of the French language. There is some fun poked at the differences involving Islam and Christianity, so if you are not tolerant or can't find humor in religion, you may be slightly offended.

This was my first fully subtitled foreign film, so once I became accustomed to that aspect I really enjoyed the film and appreciated Absa's sense of humor.

The clash of cultures has been beneficial?

[asimusae · 6/10 · 15 May 2011]

Ça Twiste á Popenguine is an enjoyable story of two different gangs in the town of Popenguine, Senegal. The youth of this town are a rebellious group that is coming to terms with who they are and what they want out of life. In the story at this point the youth find themselves seeking a record player so that they can listen to their favorite music artists, which they dress like. The youth like most rebellious teens concoct a plan to raise the money needed to purchase a record player for them. To do this, the youth create puppet shows of traditional England and use them for entertainment in French speaking Senegal.

The underlying theme of the story is a direct rebuttal to the claim by many famous African minds such as Franz Fannon who believed that nothing good could come from colonization. Fannon believed that the natives of Africa would be oppressed by the European power, culture, and religion. Mousa Sene Absa, the director and writer of this film respectfully disagrees and uses this film as a catalyst to carry his claim. Unlike Fannon, Absa makes the point clear in the film that Africa and Europe can learn from one another and can benefit from one another as well.This is an idea of complete opposite beliefs as Fannon, or Jomo Kenyatta.

The film expresses the richness of culture that the European powers and America offers Africa, but also the rich heritage and culture that the Senegalese can offer Europe. Absa supports this by the French teacher Mr. Benoit. Mr.Benoit is a lonely man who believes that he has no home, but in order to keep him in their town the Senegalese people, in a sense adopt him into their town. They do this by serenading him in music, taking him to sacred lands, and even attempting to offer him a potential wife.

In the movie, Absa uses the music of the people of Senegal in key points of the movie. He does this on purpose to illustrate that the rich history of the people is not lost, but still alive. The people of the town themselves, when they had been singing to Mr. Benoit were singing to him in their traditional music. Absa did this on purpose to help connect the idea that Africa can offer Europe something as well, which is their culture, whether that is tradition, customs, song, dance, or instruments, the people pf Africa have much to offer to Europe.

In conclusion, the movie Ça Twiste á Popenguine is a story of African youth who aspire, like all teenagers, to achieve greatness. The story is more than that however, it is a statement that the fears that Fannon and many like him had had about colonization may have been incorrect. That with the suffering that came to the people from war, famine, and oppression, there is still a positive aspect to this. That even with the grievances that Europe has put on Africa, the intercontinental exchange of culture, may be proving to be beneficial to both.

Coming of Age Story

[brendanjeffrey · 8/10 · 25 October 2006]

The film Ça Twiste á Popenguine focuses on the town of Popenguine. The main characters in the film are teenagers who are part of two different clicks, The Inseparables and the Kings. The Kings have the only record player that the town has, but do not have any girls. The Inseparables have no record player, but they have girls. The two groups have rejected most of their families' traditional values and have adopted a more western culture. They wear clothing that are more of a Western style and listen to western music, artists such as Jimi Hendrix.

The movie focuses around these two groups and their day to day activities. The Inseparables spend their days looking for ways to make money to use towards acquisition of a record player. They organize multiple gatherings and puppet shows, which are referred to as Pitchoss, as well as parties in which they attempt to charge for entrance, and only succeed a few times in making money. They also get into trouble with the adults in the town usually resulting from one of their projects not going as planned.

This movie is a coming of age story and it has the same overlying theme of many American movies that are of this genre. There were a few flaws in the story line, a few continuity issues as well as the movie becoming long and drawn out at times. Even with the language and cultural differences, the movie keeps your attention. If you are a fan of the coming of age genre you will enjoy this movie, even with some of the slow and lengthy parts. Much of the success of the story comes from the director using actual people from the village of Popenguine. This makes this story that much more believable and that much better.

An imperceptible mesh of entertainment and purpose.

[saulrand · 11 May 2004]

The embers of European imperialism have yet to cool in much of Africa, but in the seaside post-French-colonial village of Poponguine, Senegal, the effects of cultural colonization were as soft as candlelight and as animated as James Brown. That is the image that Moussa Sene Absa created in the 1993 film Ça Twiste à Poponguine, his celebration of the time when his home, a traditional African village in the 1960's, underwent integration of American and French cultural influences. Absa remembers that time through the character Bacc, a young native, who without a mother or father, is raised by a community of growing pluralism. Bacc's notable daily activities consist of going to school where the children learn French from M. Benoit (sent from France to continue French integration), and running errands for older kids in a street-wise hustler fashion, bearing his personal interests above the rest. The plot focuses on rival teen cliques during the Christmas season of 1964: the Kings, who own the town's only record player, but had no girls; and the Inseparables or `Ins', who had no record player, but had girls - `and that was key,' notes Bacc. Each group hoped to attain what the other had, and Bacc plays each group in order to forward his own causes, unexpectedly resulting in a raucous between the gangs, and the conflagration of one gang's hangout. But with no serious injuries, the events that transpire lead to a greater unity in the community and a generally feel-good movie that deals lightly but appropriately with the issues of cultural colonization.

Absa gracefully touches on difficult issues, like Africa's forgotten identity and European-American view of Africa through Social Darwinism, by proportioning the seriousness of those issues to their effects on the daily lives of characters in the movie. Dame Castiloor, the village's mother-of-all, a Vodun practitioner, a symbol of both traditional culture and the maternal role, talks to Bacc about his education. Although he is learned in French history, the Dame encourages him to revive the history of Africa. On a previous night, kids gather to hear the Dame tell a fairy tale about the tiny dwarf with a gourd full of gold. The dwarf blocks the road from passers-by, challenging them to fight. The Dame asks why, and Bacc answers that if a knight could defeat him he would become the richest of all, but if he loses he will be cursed and remain poor and blind, wifeless and childless. 'The losers will have no control over the future of their world,' it seems to say, in one of the most cryptic (and most memorable) scenes of the film.

One difficult scene to bear is one which Benoit, inebriated, concludes that if Africa colonized Europe, Europe would have lost all culture. Benoit, in his state of drunkenness does not represent his own true beliefs, but the general colonial attitude; in his lucid moments, he is merely another displaced person in search of his own place in the world, as shown in a dialogue between him and a Muslim notable, spoken in Woloff. Benoit's desire to leave Poponguine continues to grow as he feels more and more an outsider, despite different figures of authority in the village who wish him to stay; when he is finally integrated into the village, it is not by the pontifications and prayers of religious figures Perè Joseph or El Hadj Gora, but by the singing of Dame Castiloor and the children. Although the issues may seem somewhat coarse in writing, Absa puts them in action without forcing the idea through extreme camerawork or manipulation of the characters; the ideas flow naturally through the story and the characters' symbolic meaning, so that the average viewer will not be put off by the issues, and the less-than-average viewer may not even perceive many of them (the sign that reads "Popenguine").

There are uncountable moments of nearly imperceptible pokes and prods at the current state of affairs in Poponguine, one being the joke mentioned in the previous paragraph. The man who approaches Benoit talks of a `beautiful black boy' his wife just gave birth to, which must not be Benoit's child, he jokes. Even as a joke, it can imply that in the traditional group-oriented African village, a child's father is every man in the village; men can take multiple wives in accordance with local Islamic practice. The ideas held by such notables are held in contrast to the ideas of the teens. For example, Sylvie Vartan and Johnny Hallyday of the `Ins' group have a relationship based on romance and monogamy, which annoys Otis Redding of the `Kings' because as the cousin of Otis, Sylvie should be promised to him in the traditional manner. This shows the shift from dominant Islam to Christianity possible in the upcoming generation, but like many ideas presented in the movie, the viewer has the freedom to make those connections and inferences.

The freedom that the viewer has to make connections and inferences, and think more deeply about the issues of the movie is what makes Moussa Sene Absa's Ça Twiste à Poponguine more enjoyable than American mainstays of the socio-cultural genre. The camerawork is tastefully understated and carefully considered, as is the editing. Never does a scene seem to drag on, and the scenes that are building to something are spiced with a dashes of humor, such as the scene at Ginette's when one of the young adults is talking about sexual encounters with a drowsy woman to Benoit, whose worsening condition as a lonely drinker is being presented in this scene. The subtlety of so many issues and ideas makes this movie a joy to watch, its worry-free presentation allows one to watch again in order to pick up on subtle implications and decipher the symbolic meaning of characters. Altogether a cheerful tribute to his childhood home, Absa's Ça Twiste à Poponguine will lighten the heart as you witness a movie that itself symbolizes the relatively smooth cultural transition of Poponguine.

The two worlds Ca Twiste a Popenguine

[Stickney09 · 7/10 · 16 May 2011]

The move Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a wonderful portrayal of Africa and how they are dealing with changes of outside cultures. The film shows the lives of children who are trapped between two cultures. In the film each child has three names; there Arabic name in which their family members use, a French name that is used at school, and lastly the name they choose for their self, which is most often an American rock stars name. The children are stuck in limbo between different worlds because of culture. The irony in this is the teen's teacher Monsieur Benoit who is there teaching them French, feels alienated from both Senegal and France. What makes this ironic is that although the teens are mixed between different cultures and they seem to have a firm grasp on who they are. They are fine with the two cultures as long as you remain true to yourself.

During another scene an argument happens between Monsieur Benoit and Jabeel, one of the teen boys fathers, about the children's future. Benoit believes the teens should strive for bigger and better horizons. While Jabeel believes the teens should be just like their fathers. In this scene the viewers see the give and take from two cultures. The last scene of the film is a great example of post-modernism, when tradition and new fads are mixed together, because the teens threw a party with a mixture of cultures, music, and dancing.

Overall Ca Twiste a popenguine was a good film to show African culture. I was worried I would not be able to understand the background of the film and some references made about past issues, but the film is actually an easy follow. What we learned in class helped me to better understand the film, but a anyone can enjoy this upbeat African film.

Africa Meets French

[ashleyparsons115 · 7/10 · 16 May 2011]

Twiste a Popenguine is a movie definitely worth seeing. The movie follows two different groups of teenagers who live in Africa. You really get a feel for how life was back then in Africa. The movie follows the children around in their everyday life and shows how colonized they have become. The music that the director uses throughout the movie really ties everything together. Some of the music may even be familiar as it is popular rock and roll songs that are still around today. The movie is narrated to kind of give one the feel that it is an autobiography of one's life. Personally I thought this made the movie a lot easier to understand and follow along too. Both groups have to adapt to the changes in modernity throughout the whole movie. It is very interesting to see how this happens and how they each react to what is going on.

There is one person in the movie who is not a native of Africa, Mr. Benoit. It is interesting to see how he adapts to the culture and fits in with everyone else in the movie. He plays an important part of showing just how much the society is colonized and how to adapt to it. Throughout the whole movie he feels as if he doesn't belong to any country and doesn't know what to do. Luckily he gets accepted into the community and finally feels like he belongs. It's insightful to see how he progresses on his journey.

The whole society is influenced by French colonization. At school the children are only allowed to learn French. I found it so interesting that they speak French and not their native language of Wolof. There is so much French adapted in the movie that you wouldn't even think you were in Africa at times. The only real problem I saw with the movie was the acting wasn't what you would find in most movies. The director casted all regular every day people so you can tell that they don't have acting experience or that the lines were written ahead of time with a script. This gives you the feeling though that it is more of a real autobiographical movie.

This movie is definitely one worth watching if you want to see how Africa has become colonized. Be warned the ending of the movie ends abruptly but it still makes the movie worth watching. The fact that it isn't widely distributed will hopefully change in the upcoming years as well.

A give and Take

[nyamevs · 6/10 · 16 May 2011]

Ca Twiste Poponguine as it is translated into English rocking Poponguine reflects how Senegal deals with the influence from French and American cultures. Colonialism is presented as being a good thing for the future children of Poponguine because it prepares the children how to deal with the city and prepares them for their journey of possibly going to Paris one day. The children learning the French language is a positive factor because it means that the children are becoming educated for future endeavors. The characters in the movie, mainly the children, have three names. Three names are giving because each name is used in a different setting. The children give themselves American names after the celebrities that they adore, which is used outside for social events, a traditional Wolofe name that was given to them at birth and is used by immediate family and friends and a French name that is used for them when they attend school.

Bacc, the main character is an orphan. He is taken care of by his grandmother and others in the community. His mother is said to have been lost in the city. Bacc gets into many accounts of trouble by hustling between the In's and the Kings. The In's group represents the French influence with music and poetry, while the Kings love to listen to James Brown and Jimmy Hendrix. Bacc puts his personal interest above the both groups. His needs come before any of the two groups.

M. Benoit is sent from the French government to teach the children about France and the French language. Many in the city love M. Benoit because he has accustomed himself to be like the local by learning to speak their language. He faces the problem of being colonized by the Africans which in turn he should be colonizing them. He reaches a point in the movie to state that he is not sure if he belongs in France or in Poponguine. The people of Poponguine are sure that he belongs there and in turn treat him as if he is a member of the village.

At points the movie comes into conflict of language. Some of the Islam's think that the children are losing their African identity because they are speaking the French language instead of their own local tongue. Yet, M. Benoit reminds them that there is a reason for them learning French and that they will not lose their native but only enhance their knowledge of the world and what is taking place in their country. When everything is together the cultures must give and take from each other. Religion comes into play throughout the movie because Islam's believe that their way is the best way.

The movie demonstrates how much music can influence an entire culture from clothes, to dance and even the way children write and speak. Regardless of what culture the music comes from a country one must give and take to make the music their own.

This movie shows that greatness can be achieved even when colonization has taken place in the country. Each country is benefiting and learning from each other therefore improving the countries on both ends of the colonization.

Accepting the Bad for the Overall Good

[princessgemmell · 5/10 · 18 May 2011]

Ça Twiste á Popenguine shows the effects of colonization in Popenguine, Senegal. Unlike other Africa writers before him, Absa enlightens us to how colonization can be good for people and how people can make it work for them. The same goes for the whites and the blacks not having to be enemies. This film shows them working together and getting along, healing each other.

Ça Twiste á Popenguine is about two rival gangs trying to outdo each other. The Kings have a teppaz, or record player, but no girls. The In's, short for Inseparables, have the girls, and no teppaz. Bacc, the village orphan and messenger boy, believes that the girls "are key". The In's decide to raise the money for their record player by using the old English shadow box tradition, and tell a French story, in their native language of Wolof. The way they combined the different cultures to benefit themselves is amusing, and astonishing, at the same time.

Colonization is shown as a positive portrayal of social class. Those who can speak French and know its history are considered well educated. The downside that is shown is that the education is only taught in French. The students are learning nothing of their own heritage. In class the students are called by a French or Arabic name, but outside, amongst themselves, they have renamed themselves to that of their favorite musician. Negating the way the gangs have started to dress and act like their musical influences, the elders of Popenguine believe that colonization is good for them overall.

The changes that are taking place in Popenguine, Senegal in this movie are for the overall benefit of the town. The sad part is that they are losing their own heritage in it little by little. This movie is a great opening for someone to understand the benefits but at the same time the pull to be a part of two cultures is heartbreaking.

You can make it work!

[horineag · 10/10 · 1 June 2011]

In Dangarembga's novel, Nervous Conditions, colonialism is discussed as an extreme situation; you were either totally for colonialism, or you were completely against it. There were no middle grounds. If you were in the colonial mindset you were doomed. Though, in her novel, it also seemed that if you were in the traditional mindset you were doomed as well; there was no escaping it.

In Absa's film, Ça Twiste à Poponguine, You could be happy. You could have a mixture of both. Absa shows how the people of Poponguine make things work. The people of Poponguine seemed to be pleased with how their lives were going, except for Monsieur Beniot. Monsieur Beniot, the white school teacher from France, felt like he was more of an "alien" in France than he did in Poponguine. This was ironic because Monsieur Benoit was one of the only white men in Poponguine; he stuck out more like an "alien" than he would have in France.

In the middle of the film, Monsieur Benoit has a drunken episode. In this incident Monsieur Benoit was angry, and a friend of his tried to calm him down. Though, when his friend tried to help him, he became rude and ill-mannered towards his friend. Monsieur Benoit told the man "It's a good thing that France colonized you and not the other way around because everything would be backwards". This was different than Monsieur Benoit usually acts, usually he would say "It is a give and take relationship".

After his episode, Monsieur Benoit goes into a deep depression. He wants to go back to France, but the people of Poponguine pray that he will not go. Towards the end of the film, the preacher comes and tries to talk to Benoit; he tells him that the people of Poponguine need him. Then, the choir comes. The choir is made up of all of his students and the other people of Poponguine. They sing to him. This seems to make Benoit feel better and appreciated.

Compared to Dangarembga's novel, Absa's Ça Twiste à Poponguine was positive. The film showed that colonialism may not be a great thing, but you can make it work for you. The novel showed that colonialism was bad; it could never be a good thing and it could never work for anyone. The film was well done, I liked that it was not biased; it was not completely against colonialism nor was the film completely for it. The film focuses more on the everyday lives of Poponguine adolescents. If you are interested in African culture, are studying about colonialism, or curious of how colonialism affects people, you would enjoy this movie.

Life In Africa

[fashionista629 · 7/10 · 15 May 2011]

Have you ever wondered what it's like in Africa? I know I have, as an American that has never been to Africa, because all we hear about is the troubles and animals of Africa. That doesn't tell what it's like to live there. Ça Twiste à Popenguine gives us an idea. This film was made partially as a reaction to the writings of authors like Fanon. Writers, such as Fanon, have written about the idea of the colonization of the mind which is the idea that the whites make the blacks in Africa feel inferior in culture and are pressed to take on aspects of the white culture.

The clothes, music, and language and other elements of culture shown in the movie have aspects of French and American culture as well as the native culture. This shows that the colonization of the mind is false because they are using all of the cultures in different situations. This is an interesting way to perceive life in Africa, and firmly contradicts what we hear about Africa since it's 'apparently' uncivilized, uneducated, and unsanitary. This doesn't mean that the issues we hear about aren't a problem, but rather shows that life in Africa is different from life in America but not as different as we are led to believe. There are still parts of their lives that we can relate to. This movie gives a positive look on colonization and shows how there is give and take between cultures.

I would recommend this movie to anyone that is curious as to what living in Africa is like while looking for a reason to smile.

The Assimilation of Africans into French Colonialism

[campantj · 5/10 · 13 May 2011]

Ça Twiste à Poponguine is a decent movie that is a pretty good depiction of African life in modern-day Senegal, aside from the lack of professional actors and being low budget. It shows how the children of the village cope with life while having two, sometimes three, different identities. They have their given name at home that is either Arabic or African, their French Colonial name at school and when Monsieur Benoit talks to them in the village, and their American singer name that some of them have picked for themselves. They chose their American names based on the gang that they belong to. The In's listen to singers like Sylvia Vartan and Johnny Hallyday and had two people in their group with those names. The King's listen to singers like Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding and also have two people in their group with those names. Depending on where they are and who they are around, they can act as any of these three identities. They do not seem to have a problem assimilating into the French Colonial culture while still keeping their African heritage.

Monsieur Benoit, however, basically has a breakdown in the middle of the movie. He is the one that is having trouble assimilating into the African culture. He feels like and alien in the village but also feels alien in France. This is similar to how Tambu feels when she goes to the mission in the novel Nervous Condition, by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Tambu is assimilated into French Colonial life on the mission and then begins to feel out of place at the homestead when she returns to see her family. It seems like Monsieur Benoit is having these same reactions to being gone from home for so long and having started to assimilate into the culture of the village. He does not feel like he belongs anywhere and goes on a drunken rant about how they were lucky that France colonized Africa. This actually was confusing to me because the villagers did not get mad. They actually felt sorry for him and helped him to feel like he belonged in the village.

There is also a stark contrast shown between the village of Poponguine and the European resort that is located just up the beach from the village. The village contains run down shacks, dirt roads, hardly any trees, no grass, the rare car here and there, and two white people who are the bartender and Monsieur Benoit. The European resort has trees, grass and shrubbery, umbrellas and lounge chairs on the beach, paved roads, many cars and motorcycles, white people on vacation, seems very upscale and caters to the rich. They also employ many of the people in the village. This scene was placed in the movie to show the extreme differences between the Africa most tourists will see and the Africa that the villagers live in.

This is not a movie I would watch again or would have ever watched if I had not taken an African World Literature class. The movie itself was not bad for the lack of actors, budget and equipment. It did show me a part of the world that I do not normally see nor pay attention to, as sad as that may sound. I do enjoy learning about different parts of the world and I did enjoy watching the movie but I would only watch it in a class.

Colonization of Popenguine

[eliassrb · 8/10 · 16 May 2011]

Rocking Poponguine by Moussa Sene Absa is a movie about the life of the people in Poponguine, a town in Senegal, colonized by the French. It is a town where the youth is influenced by western music from the United States and France, and where the older people in the town are concerned with the youths newly found love for white culture. Absa presents the issues that come with colonization and culture clashes but he also shows how people from different worlds and mindset can learn from each other. This blender of different cultures meeting in Poponguine is the main focus of the movie.

The young people in the village are heavily colonized by western music. The two different gangs, the Kings and the Inseparables, are surrounding their lives around western music. In their constant battle to be the best gang with the most girls, parties, and music players, their actions affects the entire village. The older people blame the young ones for not resisting the colonization of the western world. In the end, all the troubles that came with the culture clash will also unite the village.

"In vino veritas", means that "the truth is in the wine", and it is a Latin phrase that came to mind when Monsieur Benoit speaks his true feelings about the French colonization of Africa. A scene where Monsieur Beniot, a respected white teacher, gets drunk and rants about the supremacy of French culture compared to African. The interesting part of this part of the movie is that it is clear that Monsieur Benoit is also affected by colonization. He is captured in between two worlds. Benoit does not feel like he belongs in neither France nor Senegal. So how is this white man who obviously looks down at African culture so much, saved from his depression? He is saved by the culture that he talked so badly about when he was at the bar. The songs and music from the women and the children of Poponguine is the key to his happiness. The people of Poponguine did something that white people of France would never do to them; they invited him to stay in their town by showing their good hearts and how much they respect his differences. Monsieur Benoit found a reason in that moment to stay in Poponguine.

The only professional actor in this movie is the man who symbolizes the colonization of Africa, Monsieur Benoit. All other actors are real people from Senegal. It gives the audience a feeling that Absa wants to present the African people as real Africa, and Monsieur Benoit and colonization as something that does not belong there, something that is not real.

The issues surrounding colonization and how people deal with it, is showed in so many interesting ways that the poor budget and lack of technology is not of importance. The audience is given the opportunity to decide whether or not the movie has a happy ending. One might argue that the people of Poponguine show how to unite and come together in a society filled with different cultures and religions. The truth is that this movie is about a people who are experiencing difficulties such as poverty and lack of unity because they are colonized by western culture. While the people of Poponguine are dancing to the sounds of a French rock and roller dressed in an American outfit, the white colonials are resting on the beach at their vacation resort, enjoying the wealth that they acquired by stealing an entire continent.

Nice story, poor structure

[kel_kel_46 · 7/10 · 22 October 2006]

Overall, I thought this movie had a nice theme. The way the director displayed the various types of people in the Wolof village was excellent. He had the older Wolof people seeming wise in their traditional-looking costume and tone of voice. He had the "Kings" who were of western (American) influence as the sort of rebel group, however harmless and sort of stupid, which I found funny. They were so stuck on looking and admiring people like Jimi Hendrix that they didn't know much about anything, even the American innovative rock which seemed to be their purpose.

Then you have the regular students and the Ins who were somewhere in the middle, however in a different way. They seemed to be half traditional Wolof and half French influence due to their teacher. I thought it was interesting how the director portrayed the views on the teacher. He was well-liked and always wore a white suit (as if he was a good, pure man), despite his rude and ironic breakdown in the restaurant. The director's main point seemed to be to show people of non-African (or even African culture) exactly how it was that they were able to be colonized, and just how much of it went on.

Despite the good story of the film, there was a lot that went wrong, too. What went wrong was unfortunate because it seemed to be all things that should NOT have been a problem in film for that time. The same scene being shot in plain day and then pure darkness was not only confusing at first, but extremely annoying. I also found the Foley annoying, because it was noticeable. When you view a movie, you shouldn't NOTICE that a slapping sound is weird or unrealistic sounding, and it was in this movie. The music in the background, such as "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" seemed out of place considering it wasn't even played when showing the only American-influenced group of people.

So although the movie had the right idea but poor structure, I would recommend the movie for older people that are not African. When I say older I mean mature enough to recognize culture differences, and I say non African because I think the director was aiming more towards SHOWING colonization to others.

Cultural Distractions.

[Ejroeder · 3/10 · 23 October 2006]

The movie to me was basically teaching the viewer about the cultural distractions that the Wolof people in Senegal are beginning to be more influenced by other then there own. In the movie we see that the youth in the village of Popenguine dress in a European style of clothing while there parents stay true to there culture and dress in the traditional clothing. The youth also are very interested in music but not of there culture, but rather music from the United States and Europe.

The director, Moussa Sene Absa's did a below average job directing, since there are scenes that are shot in the day then suddenly are in the night time. The actors were not impressive either, but one interesting note is that they were non-actors cast for there roles. This really does the movie some justice and gives you a very raw and authentic feel.

A good movie on colonization.

[queenofcrystals · 19 October 2006]

Ca Twiste a Popenguine is movie that focuses on the effects of colonization in Senegal. This is a very important subject. Moussa Sene Absa shows the influences of the French and American cultures on the traditional Wolof culture of Popenguine. Absa does a great job of showing the difference in the older and younger generations and how they deal with the new cultures. The older people in the village wear traditional clothing and get frustrated with the youth for "wanting to be white." While the teenagers and kids in the village wear modern clothes, listen to French and American pop music, and even choose French and American nicknames. He also does a nice job of showing how Benoit feels, being a Frenchman in a Wolof city. He knows Popenguine is not his home, but he feels he has been there too long to be accepted by France anymore.

For a western viewer, the story is somewhat hard to follow. I had a bit of trouble understanding the interactions between the characters, especially the narrator's deal with The Kings, and the conversations between the members of The In's. I also wish that the Wolof spoken would have been translated. I wanted to know everything that was being said, not just what was said in French. I recommend this movie for anyone interested in Senegal or colonization. It does a very nice job of showing how the different cultures mesh. However, those that oppose colonization or those with an overwhelming sense of patriotism and would like to see total colonization of a culture may not enjoy this movie. This movie was filmed in African, with African actors, and directed by an African. So if foreign films or movies portraying very different cultures are not your thing, I would recommend staying away from this one.

Overall, I think this was a great movie. It does wonders in showing the effects of colonization and how different cultures can come together and accept each other. Although it was hard to follow at some points, it has a good message and was definitely worth watching.

Good movies always give their audience a room to think

[wtolili · 7/10 · 20 October 2006]

I like the way Absa,the author and director of the movie,used to tell the story. Simple, nonprofessional actors/actress, and low-cost(I believe) are this movie's characteristic. It is describing a "world" in a boy's eyes and his life in a sea-shore village, Popenguine, Senegal. In fact, in this small ordinary village, there is a "world" alive! The author use his direct simple way to display a situation that different cultures are interweaving and interacting each other in the tiny place.

As well as all good movies, it gives its audience a room to think. When the young generation grow up with the western culture, what will happen to their own culture? extinguish or survive, or still alive in the "corner" where have been forgotten by the rest of the world. Because of the "room" for imagination, different person will have different opinion from his/her different position of view. Like an ancient Chinese saying: "the benevolent see benevolence and the wise see wisdom", I think Absa love to see the different cultures in Senegal can get along with each other harmoniously.

consumption of a culture

[strong_h · 6/10 · 23 October 2006]

Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a movie that I feel gives a good view of how cultures can be consumed and the consequences of consumption. There several instances where the Ins and the Kings are disappointed after futile attempts to become like the youth of western civilization. The more the Ins sought after western culture the more they lose, this was a powerful message. I believe Moussa Sene Absa accurately displays the world of Popenguine and the impact the French culture has on it. I also think that he director's decision to use people from that area made the story more real to the viewer.

It has been my experience that international cinema is usually different from that of the west. These differences may have been what caused me to dislike some parts of the film. There were some instances when I wasn't sure if certain events were a metaphor for a greater point or just a side bar conversion Absa wanted to add. Some of the school scenes I did not quite understand the relevance of. However, my views may be a product of the western cinema I am accustomed to.

I would not recommend this movie unless you had an interest in African culture. Otherwise, the purpose of the movie and its theme may be lost to the viewer. This is not a Friday night movies and pizza, feature. But if you are interested or familiar with African culture or literature, "Ca Twiste a Popenguine" is a nice tour of Senegal.

Ca Twiste a Popenguine

[rathjerob · 6/10 · 24 October 2006]

I agree with most of viewers comments about this film. I enjoyed how it shows th cultural struggle to hold onto traditional values while dealing with struggles of change. This coming of age story about a group of friends and them trying to find themselves in more colonized Senegal shows how the even in Africa the younger generations struggle with accepting new western beliefs with the sacrifice of more traditional ones. Also i thought the actors did an adequate job and while sometimes the editing was crude, shockingly the sound for the film carries the flow of the movie as well as any major motion picture. While not many major films often come out of Africa this film definitely shows that they have talent their and are more than capable of making an entertaining movie that touches on some moral and traditional values that African's hold dear.

A mistaken identity

[mkaser21 · 5/10 · 23 October 2006]

There are a plethora of themes described in Absa's film Ca Twiste a Poponguine. For instance, mistaken identity helps describe the African residents of Poponguine. Furthermore, the two groups, the Inseparables and the Kings, were the teenagers of the town who followed the styles of the western society. However, the older residents followed more of the African traditions. In addition, the French and American music symbolized how changing culture in the African society is a factor today. In other words, the older people of Poponguine wore traditional African clothes and the younger kids wore modern clothes that Americans or Europeans would wear. As Mr. Benoit said, a changing culture leads to prosperity. I believe that Absa wanted to portray the American culture in more of a funny way (with music) and portray the European culture as something good. Furthermore, the people in Poponguine were able to speak French and Wolof. In sum, Absa's had many themes that wanted to portray the changing African society due to western influences.

Absa did well directing the movie in some ways. For example, the viewer is able to see the difference between the young and the older people of Africa and their differences. In addition, Absa does a good job of showing how technology is hard to come by in Africa. For instance, when the TV was brought to Poponguine, the In's and the Kings were able to stop feuding; in addition, the French singer, Frank Larry, played in town and stopped the feuding too. In contrast, Absa did not do a good job of portraying the American society. The Kings and In's are addicted to American music and the surrounding affairs of the famous singers. This seems to come to the point that America is surrounded by the gossip of its stars. However, there is more to a music culture that America has.

Innocence of youth overcomes adversities to blend cultures.

[catscholle · 8/10 · 15 May 2011]

The innocence of youth is mirrored through the use of actual villagers and not professional actors in Ca Twiste a Popenguine, and makes for a much more believable story. Although the movie does not flow well in places, Moussa Sene Absa's message is a timeless one; education is learned in life as well as in the classroom. The resilience of youth is reflected as they face their culture blending with another. Bacc is the young man who shares the story of the village of Popenguine through his own eyes; those of a young man whose mother disappeared in Paris and fears the same will happen to him. At times, it is hard to determine if he is sabotaging the progress of his friends in the village, or if his behaviors are an attempt at self-preservation. Various themes are used throughout Bacc's story of that December in 1964 in a small village near Senegal.

The most obvious theme in the movie is that of French Colonialism, Mr. Benoit has been sent to educate the children so that they may become good French citizens; only French may be spoken while in school. The irony of Mr. Benoit's situation is that he has been sent to provide an education that will give a way out of Popenguine; however, this is the very situation that traps him there. French colonialism is also what caused his mother to go to the city and never come back. When he discusses this with his Grandmother, she tells him to get his education, and tell the stories of Africa. After this conversation, it becomes clear that the village believes a French education is good. When the people of the village learn that Mr. Benoit is unhappy with his life, they come together to embrace him as one of their own, and make a grand gesture to blend their cultures together.

Other themes that are touched on are a reflection of the story of Ivanhoe that the kids use in their Pitchoss. These timeless ideals give the hope that life will be better for them as they overcome adversities. Themes portrayed are the triumph of good over evil, development of language, and separation with reconciliation. Triumph of good over evil in this context reflects back to the triumph over colonialism. The development of language is clear based on the director's transition of French, Wolof, and English (through music). The use of multiple languages and genres of music give a clear understanding of the blending of cultures that allow a people to thrive and grow. The theme of separation with reconciliation is portrayed through the religious views and the two rival groups, the Kings and the Inseperables. Each group had a clear distinction; however, everyone comes together after the boys fishing attempt and again to honor Mr. Benoit.

I liked this movie and thought it gave a good message without the glitz and glamour we have come to expect from our movies. As is the music, the message is timeless, and the use of timeless music honors the African use of Griots and oral tradition to share this story.

The happy times of Poponguine

[mishra1220 · 7/10 · 15 May 2011]

"If you seek happiness, bring back your best years" is the beginning message of Ça twiste à Poponguine (aka Rocking Poponguine). This quote reminds to look to our past for the best times of our lives. As childhood goes Baac (the main character) has it tough, having no "real" parents in the town and subject to the older kids whims and errands. But Baac also has it great, he is loved by all the adults in the village, he has a girlfriend (Majieen), and he is clever and quick-witted (as he often out smarts the two local gangs).

Baac has to balance the traditional African rules of respect, the French ideals of thought and the American influence on free-thinking and philosophy. This young man runs errands like a pro, promising things to one group and lying to get his way to another. Sometimes this double-crossing cause's trouble, but only the elder boys gets the beatings, he gets off without punishment. Baac is the "little brother" of all. He mainly has business with the inseparables (In's) and their leader, Johnny. The In's have all the girls, but no record player to keep the girls. The Kings (the other gang of the area) has a record player, but no girls. Through Baac many events lead to the renting of the King's record player, a fight over fees, and a revenge plot that includes setting fire to what the In's have created.

This young man is a child of Poponguine. Without a birth mother to watch over him, he is adopted by all in the village. Baac fears that his is going to become lost, like his mother who, apparently, "disappeared into the city". With the guidance of the "wise-woman" , the notables (the Muslim, and Christian town leaders), and the French teachings of Mr. Benoit he soon develops into a child with a bright future that finds balance in love, tradition, and self identity.

Another tradition in many of our past is the act of TV watching. In Poponguine the only TV is a gift for El Hadj Gora's newest wife and it comes with mixed feelings. Mr. Benoit is hesitant to turn the TV to a station, but the rest of the village practically worships the thing. The TV kills the pitchoss, and seems to be the final step of colonization. The television transmits the most recent news and events that come from France and within the minds of the village, cements the fact that Africa is lost in the minds of the TV generation. The television is carefully placed near the mosque and in turn placed in the direction of Mecca. During the time of prayer, many of the villagers are unable to peel their eyes away from the TV. The village literary prays to their new god of technology, the television. The TV, throughout the past few generations has been a knowledge giver and has developed (in many forms) into a tool we rely on daily. In Poponguine it is no different, after the TV arrives, thinking begins to drastically change. The girls of the In's distance themselves from their "boys" and the In's break up because of it. Gone are the ideals of thought and literature, now there are only the thoughts that are transmitted from the box of plastic and glass.

The memories of youth develop into this story, Ça twiste à Poponguine, and we are taken along with the life of Baac and his development into a great young man that goes on to leave Popoguine and has a great life. As an outsider looking in to this boy's life I am left with a thought of a "happy ending", everyone had their own endings and were happy (probably). All the teens (the IN's and the King's), but Eddy left the town to have better lives. Eddy stayed and took the path of tradition, becoming richer than all of them because of it.

Colonization Working

[simpsono-988-924515 · 9/10 · 16 May 2011]

I found the film Ça Twiste à Poponguine to be a very enjoyable movie. Two aspects I greatly enjoyed were: the perspective on colonization the director, Mousa Sene Absa, choose to take and the fact that this film was purely African. Most movies about Africa tend to portray the people in a very poor and inaccurate way. Usually, Africans are shown as poor, sad, diseased, dying, and in need of help. True, the village of Poponguine was not the biggest or richest place with western houses, grassy yards, or carpeted living spaces. However, the people were happy and had what they needed. A western house, grassy yards, and carpet would not be very functional for their climate, nor would those things last very long. The story had a happy ending for the African people in Poponguine, unlike a usual tragedy in Western films about Africa.

The other part of the film I enjoyed was Mousa Sene Absa's portrayal of colonization. According to many different African authors colonization is evil and destroys the traditions, culture, and people of Africa. Absa chooses to say that colonization is not that bad. Colonization is a very perplexing and complicated issue, so much so, that when discussing it one has to look deeper than the surface. Typically one would think of colonization as wiping out the traditions and customs of another culture. Absa says that it is possible to use colonization to mesh the good parts of two cultures. The people spoke two languages: French and Senegalese. Senegalese was spoken at home and within the village and French was spoken at home. African authors like Ngugi Wa Thiong'o have a problem with being forced to learn another language. Absa frequently references people who "got lost in the city," possibly referring to Paris or another city in France. If the common trend was to go to France for work, it would be necessary for the people to learn French.

The main character and narrator of the film is a young orphan boy named Bacc. He says that he has been raised by the whole village and that he has many mothers and fathers. Bacc spends his time in school learning French and French history and running errands between two gangs, the In's (short for Inseparables) and the Kings. These gangs are made up of young teenagers, who are in competition for the most important thing, girls. To impress the girls they need music and a record player. In spite of having a record player, the Kings cannot seem to win the girls over. The In's have records, but they do not have a record player. They are willing to work hard to earn enough money to buy one for themselves.

It seems that Absa is trying to point out that, colonization or not, their life is not really that different from anyone else's life, no matter the country. There are several different religions portrayed, as well as people from different walks of life. There are children who come from wealthier families; however, they are still friends with those from a lower economic status. There are parents with very differing ideas of what their children should and shouldn't do or be. These things are not affected by culture or colonization. I could identify my parents with one of the parents in the film and could see similarities to some of my friend's parents.

Colonization is not that bad. It can be used as a means to better the African people, while still holding onto their traditional roots. One group of people does not need to become exact replicas of another culture to be happy and productive. These are the ides I have taken from this film.

interesting

[kushrenada666 · 7/10 · 23 October 2006]

I found Ca Twiste to be very interesting. It's not that it was profound or prolific... It was just because I am an outsider looking in. These young-ones were Africans, as pure as can be, (given the fact that they've been colonized) and I'm a little all American "tom-boy;" "Jack and Dianne in the American heartland" rolled into one person. Do these people and I actually have something in common? I guess we do. We all have to live, learn, and grow, even if we are half-a-world-apart. But I digress, the movie is what is important, I supposed. It's sad really, or at least pathetic. For the first time in goodness knows how long… I crave an American Hollywood-style ending. But Hollywood can't do anything right in my opinion.

I'm just going to get right to it. The ending was- upsetting. I wanted more. The film just ends with the two children under the table making a reference to Ivanhoe that was lost on me. (Perhaps, if I had ever read that book, I could have understood it.) Thankfully, someone was there to explain it to me. The fighting between the quarrelsome children was over not because anything had been settled, but because they were sick of fighting. The voice over during the credits tells you how the kids grew up to love, laugh, and live elsewhere. That's how it ends: nice, pure, and simple.

The voice over was the most meaningful part to me; it served as a reminder that we are being given a glimpse into a real somebody's personal life, and it should be treated with a form of respect and reverence akin to what one would give someone else's diary. This is why I don't have the heart to pick it apart like a normal critique would.

Rock out

[askarifaiza · 7/10 · 16 May 2011]

Interesting, comical, and dramatic can be easily described for Rocking Popguine. It's a very attention grabbing movie in my opinion. The movie allows you to see the influence of the French culture in this town and the importance of it. French education and language was portrayed as being superior. The main character, Bacc, the little boy being raised by the community because his mother left him and ran away to France significance how the culture pulls together to raise the children of the future. Colonialism is often viewed as a bad thing. But in this movie it showed both the good and bad effect it had on the people. It was interesting to see that only French education such as French history was being taught in this little town of Africa. It struck out to me when the "grandmother" told Bacc to create African history and make her proud, to write the history of Africa. The African way of life was being integrated with the American and French traditions and culture. The youth loved to learn the French ways, but the elder generation had a hard time excepting the French ways. It was very interesting to see that these kids wanted to be associated with the French or even American culture rather than their own. Speaking French, listening to French music, deciding their own names based on rock stars.

Another problem that was displayed in the movie is how the teacher, Mr. Beniot had a problem with himself. He felt as if he belonged to nowhere. He felt as if he was an alien to France, his home country and to Africa, where he spent most of his time. This conflict showed how he battled the idea of where home was for him, liking things of both French and African culture.

It was interesting to see how the children from the movie had two names. The name that they were born with and the French or American name they choose in school. Some children even picked a name off of famous rockstars. The children prefer to go by the names they had picked their own self over the names that were given to them by their families. Music had a great impact on the children in the movie. The "Ins" are influenced by French pop music while the "kings" were influenced by American pop music. It was interesting to see how the rivalry was caused because one group had the girls but no disc player while the other group had the disc player but no girls.

I know this movie was not provided a large amount of money to keep up with Hollywood but I would still have to say that it was such a good movie despite that. It was cool, it was fun and best of all it was humorous. Overall what I gained from this movie was how much French culture was incorporated into Africa. The comedy helped earn its points as well.

Interesting Mix of Cultures

[Who_Dey · 6/10 · 23 October 2006]

Ca Twiste a Popenguine, directed by Moussa Sene Absa, is a complex tale set in the seaside village of Popenguine amid the cultural revolutions of French colonization, and a slow but steady introduction of American culture into the lives of the villagers of this Senegalese town. Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a fast paced story that deals with the issues that characterize the journey of this small town from a traditional African village to a colonized European outpost. While watching Absa's film, a viewer can sense the tension between the traditional African way of life and the invading European lifestyle. Native women dressed in the rich fabrics of their homeland admonish the students of the village to study not only the poets and politicians of France, but to also study the history of Africa in order to one day "make it proud". At the same time others, particularly the men of the village, have given over to the European culture, dressing as the Europeans do and sending their children to a school where they are beat if they speak their native language instead of French.

All in all, Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a remarkable tribute to the homeland of director Moussa Sene Absa. Absa created his entire cast using the local villagers of Popenguine and despite an occasional lack of continuity; he can be pleased with their performances. The performance of the young student Bacc was especially delightful. Bacc entertains viewers with his antics and "wheeling and dealing" style as the go between for the two teenage gangs of Popenguine. Bacc is often called upon to strike a deal between opposing gangs and he never failed to leave viewers chuckling when he walked away as the principle benefactor in every transaction.

Set in the African culture and performed in French and the native tongue Wolof, Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a bit difficult to follow for the average American viewer. However, it is well worth the effort. This movie is elegant and appropriate in dealing with many of the issues of a newly colonized society. From the role of women as the keepers of traditional culture to the complex effects of colonization on society, Ca Twiste a Popenguine is suitable choice for anyone interested in African, American, or European culture and the way each is perceived by the other.