Keita: The Heritage of the Griot

Keita creates a unique world where the West Africa of the 13th Century Sundjata Epic and the West Africa of today co-exist and interpenetrate. Director Dani Kouyati's frames his dramatization of the epic within the story of Mabo Keita, contemporary boy from Burkina Faso, learning the history of his family. During the film, Mabo and his distant ancestor, Sundjata, engage in parallel quests to understand their destinies, to "know the meaning of their names." In so doing, Keita makes the case for an "Afrocentric" education, where African tradition, not an imported Western curricula is the necessary starting point for African development.

Both ancient and modern storylines are initiated by the mysterious appearance of a hunter, a passerby representing destiny who intervenes at strategic moments to propel Sundjata and Mabo on their journeys. The hunter both foretells the birth of Sundjata to the Mande court and, eight centuries later, rouses Djiliba (or Great Griot) Kouyate to go to the city and initiate young Mabo into the secrets of his origin. The Kouyate's have always served as the Keitas' griots, bards (jeli) belonging to a discrete Mande caste or endogamous occupational group, who alone perform certain types of poetry and divination.

Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival.