A documentary exploring the life and legacy of the late Malian writer Yambo Ouologuem was screened in Bamako on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in the presence of high-ranking officials including Prime Minister Major General Abdoulaye Maïga.
Directed by Kalidou Sy, the film titled Yambo Ouologuem, la blessure traces the complex trajectory of the first African author to win the prestigious Renaudot Prize in 1968 for his landmark novel, Le Devoir de violence.
The documentary delves into Ouologuem’s meteoric rise and the subsequent controversy involving allegations of plagiarism that led to his gradual withdrawal from the international literary scene. Through interviews with family members and intellectuals, some conducted in his place of voluntary retreat in Sévaré, the film examines the period of isolation and silence that defined the latter half of his life until his passing in 2017.
The screening is a central element of a broader national effort in Mali to rehabilitate and celebrate Ouologuem’s intellectual heritage. This movement is further evidenced by the naming of the University of Letters and Human Sciences in Bamako in his honor, signaling a renewed appreciation for a body of work that continues to challenge conventional perspectives on African history and its internal contradictions.
MD/te/lb/abj/APA