Soleil O

 For cinema club today* I watched Soleil O (1970) by director Med Hondo. Fifty years after it was screened at Cannes, it was restored as part of a group of 50 African films by Martin Scorsese's World Cinema initiative, and issued by the Criterion Collection, allowing it to be seen by a new audience. Hondo worked as an actor, founded a theater company that produced works by black authors, and directed several films. In France, he earned money and was well-known as the dubbed voice of black actors such as Eddie Murphy, Morgan Freeman, and others. Early on, he used some of the money earned by dubbing to finance his films. I'm glad to know that he was able to participate in many screenings of the restored Soleil O and see audiences' reactions to his work.

*well, actually it turns out it's for next week. Did my homework early!