Borom Sarret

Ousmane Sembène’s debut film is often hailed as one of the most significant short films ever made – and one that paved the way for African cinema.

Borom Sarret (Wolof name for 'wagoner') is the story of a poor cart driver who loses almost everything he owns in a single day. He offers people rides into town, and only sometimes do they pay him the fare. He gets confronted by a rich customer demanding to be taken to a suburb where horse driven carts are prohibited and inevitably the police stop him and confiscate his cart.

Ousmane Sembène’s portrait of a working man recalls neorealist classics such as Bicycle Thieves and marked the arrival of a major new talent.

– Keith Shiri, Curator