Sembene!
Kino Lorber | Release Date: November 6, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenNov 28, 2015
A richly crafted documentary that serves as an enlightening tribute to the filmmaker who masterfully tapped into the medium's wide-reaching socio-political potential. Read full review
75
Washington PostVanessa H. LarsonNov 19, 2015
For a filmmaker who believed in giving Africans their own voice, it seems appropriate to offer such an unvarnished portrait. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzNov 12, 2015
Sembene! is most illuminating when it is simply showing us clips from the director's features and behind-the-scenes or "making of" footage, with very little in the way of verbal setup, and then letting them play out. Read full review
70
VarietyGuy LodgeNov 5, 2015
Utilitarian in construction but personally invested, it’s a duly humble career overview that doesn’t risk much individual interpretation of such rich, essential films as “Black Girl,” “Xala” and “Moolaade” — though it should leave viewers eager to make (or regain) their acquaintance. Read full review
70
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlNov 3, 2015
Jason Silverman and Samba Gadjigo's heartfelt doc is rich in footage and access. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyNov 2, 2015
Academic in its approach but very informative as well as surprising in the degree to which it addresses the man's foibles and ethical shortcomings, the film turns a welcome spotlight on a resourceful and singular artist who was forced to do everything from scratch in the absence of any local industry infrastructure. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineClayton DillardNov 2, 2015
The film unfolds as a kind, politically soft offering of what lies beneath both Sembène's films and the man himself. Read full review
60
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldNov 6, 2015
Mr. Sembène was an inspiration; as a film, Sembène! is something less than that, petering out as it goes on, but at least offering a fair-minded tribute to a master. Read full review
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