User Reviews

Cultural mathematics might not be your thing, but in writer/director Moussa Sene Absa's 1994 film Ca Twiste a Popenguine, he portrays the influence of the American and French cultures upon the peoples of the town of Popenguine, Senegal during the mid-1960's. Absa does a good job of showing this cultural mix by focusing on a struggle between two cliques of teenagers and adds just enough humor to keep the film on a light note and interesting. The cliques have similarities in that they have both forsaken their parents' traditional garb for more Western/European styles and they listen to artists such as James Brown and Jimmy Hendrix. What separates the two groups involves what they have and don't have. The "Kings" have the only record player in town, but no girls in their group. The "Inseparables" have the girls, but no record player. Absa also shows the influence of the French colonialism with the school teacher Mr. Benoit who is sent from France to teach the children of Popenguine French language and literature. A subplot involves his struggles and acceptance by the townspeople. The actual conflict between the two groups, the Kings and the Ins, is the main storyline of the film and Absa uses that storyline to convey the theme that involves the changing from the native African Wolof culture brought on by the influence of American and French culture to a mixed culture.

Absa's use of untrained actors/actresses works well in this film by giving it a flavor of reality. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in seeing things from a non-western point of view or anyone wanting to see how different cultures interact and intertwine. If you do not like subtitled/foreign films, I would not recommend this movie unless you have a grasp of the French language. There is some fun poked at the differences involving Islam and Christianity, so if you are not tolerant or can't find humor in religion, you may be slightly offended.

This was my first fully subtitled foreign film, so once I became accustomed to that aspect I really enjoyed the film and appreciated Absa's sense of humor.

The film Ça Twiste á Popenguine focuses on the town of Popenguine. The main characters in the film are teenagers who are part of two different clicks, The Inseparables and the Kings. The Kings have the only record player that the town has, but do not have any girls. The Inseparables have no record player, but they have girls. The two groups have rejected most of their families' traditional values and have adopted a more western culture. They wear clothing that are more of a Western style and listen to western music, artists such as Jimi Hendrix.

The movie focuses around these two groups and their day to day activities. The Inseparables spend their days looking for ways to make money to use towards acquisition of a record player. They organize multiple gatherings and puppet shows, which are referred to as Pitchoss, as well as parties in which they attempt to charge for entrance, and only succeed a few times in making money. They also get into trouble with the adults in the town usually resulting from one of their projects not going as planned.

This movie is a coming of age story and it has the same overlying theme of many American movies that are of this genre. There were a few flaws in the story line, a few continuity issues as well as the movie becoming long and drawn out at times. Even with the language and cultural differences, the movie keeps your attention. If you are a fan of the coming of age genre you will enjoy this movie, even with some of the slow and lengthy parts. Much of the success of the story comes from the director using actual people from the village of Popenguine. This makes this story that much more believable and that much better.

The embers of European imperialism have yet to cool in much of Africa, but in the seaside post-French-colonial village of Poponguine, Senegal, the effects of cultural colonization were as soft as candlelight and as animated as James Brown. That is the image that Moussa Sene Absa created in the 1993 film Ça Twiste à Poponguine, his celebration of the time when his home, a traditional African village in the 1960's, underwent integration of American and French cultural influences. Absa remembers that time through the character Bacc, a young native, who without a mother or father, is raised by a community of growing pluralism. Bacc's notable daily activities consist of going to school where the children learn French from M. Benoit (sent from France to continue French integration), and running errands for older kids in a street-wise hustler fashion, bearing his personal interests above the rest. The plot focuses on rival teen cliques during the Christmas season of 1964: the Kings, who own the town's only record player, but had no girls; and the Inseparables or `Ins', who had no record player, but had girls - `and that was key,' notes Bacc. Each group hoped to attain what the other had, and Bacc plays each group in order to forward his own causes, unexpectedly resulting in a raucous between the gangs, and the conflagration of one gang's hangout. But with no serious injuries, the events that transpire lead to a greater unity in the community and a generally feel-good movie that deals lightly but appropriately with the issues of cultural colonization.

Absa gracefully touches on difficult issues, like Africa's forgotten identity and European-American view of Africa through Social Darwinism, by proportioning the seriousness of those issues to their effects on the daily lives of characters in the movie. Dame Castiloor, the village's mother-of-all, a Vodun practitioner, a symbol of both traditional culture and the maternal role, talks to Bacc about his education. Although he is learned in French history, the Dame encourages him to revive the history of Africa. On a previous night, kids gather to hear the Dame tell a fairy tale about the tiny dwarf with a gourd full of gold. The dwarf blocks the road from passers-by, challenging them to fight. The Dame asks why, and Bacc answers that if a knight could defeat him he would become the richest of all, but if he loses he will be cursed and remain poor and blind, wifeless and childless. 'The losers will have no control over the future of their world,' it seems to say, in one of the most cryptic (and most memorable) scenes of the film.

One difficult scene to bear is one which Benoit, inebriated, concludes that if Africa colonized Europe, Europe would have lost all culture. Benoit, in his state of drunkenness does not represent his own true beliefs, but the general colonial attitude; in his lucid moments, he is merely another displaced person in search of his own place in the world, as shown in a dialogue between him and a Muslim notable, spoken in Woloff. Benoit's desire to leave Poponguine continues to grow as he feels more and more an outsider, despite different figures of authority in the village who wish him to stay; when he is finally integrated into the village, it is not by the pontifications and prayers of religious figures Perè Joseph or El Hadj Gora, but by the singing of Dame Castiloor and the children. Although the issues may seem somewhat coarse in writing, Absa puts them in action without forcing the idea through extreme camerawork or manipulation of the characters; the ideas flow naturally through the story and the characters' symbolic meaning, so that the average viewer will not be put off by the issues, and the less-than-average viewer may not even perceive many of them (the sign that reads "Popenguine").

There are uncountable moments of nearly imperceptible pokes and prods at the current state of affairs in Poponguine, one being the joke mentioned in the previous paragraph. The man who approaches Benoit talks of a `beautiful black boy' his wife just gave birth to, which must not be Benoit's child, he jokes. Even as a joke, it can imply that in the traditional group-oriented African village, a child's father is every man in the village; men can take multiple wives in accordance with local Islamic practice. The ideas held by such notables are held in contrast to the ideas of the teens. For example, Sylvie Vartan and Johnny Hallyday of the `Ins' group have a relationship based on romance and monogamy, which annoys Otis Redding of the `Kings' because as the cousin of Otis, Sylvie should be promised to him in the traditional manner. This shows the shift from dominant Islam to Christianity possible in the upcoming generation, but like many ideas presented in the movie, the viewer has the freedom to make those connections and inferences.

The freedom that the viewer has to make connections and inferences, and think more deeply about the issues of the movie is what makes Moussa Sene Absa's Ça Twiste à Poponguine more enjoyable than American mainstays of the socio-cultural genre. The camerawork is tastefully understated and carefully considered, as is the editing. Never does a scene seem to drag on, and the scenes that are building to something are spiced with a dashes of humor, such as the scene at Ginette's when one of the young adults is talking about sexual encounters with a drowsy woman to Benoit, whose worsening condition as a lonely drinker is being presented in this scene. The subtlety of so many issues and ideas makes this movie a joy to watch, its worry-free presentation allows one to watch again in order to pick up on subtle implications and decipher the symbolic meaning of characters. Altogether a cheerful tribute to his childhood home, Absa's Ça Twiste à Poponguine will lighten the heart as you witness a movie that itself symbolizes the relatively smooth cultural transition of Poponguine.

I found this movie to be entertaining much like that of a local or high school play. It was obviously a low budget film yet I heard a message that I could not miss. This film has 3 underlying tones: 1) that this was a Europhone story and the people of Popenguine on the Senegalese coast were telling a story of their lives masked in French. 2) It also unmasked the "francophone" by revealing the indoctrination of French in a Popenguien school and the effect that it is having on the youth of Senegal. 3) The progression of the people of Senegal to open their hearts to Mr. Benoit (the French school teacher) and embrace both cultures, one as a tool (French Language) and one as their identity (Wolof). The young actors are very entertaining but amateur. My favorite character was little Bacc. The very clever and loud youngest side kick. This was a short film worth my time. I give Ca Twiste a rating of 6 of 10.

There are a plethora of themes described in Absa's film Ca Twiste a Poponguine. For instance, mistaken identity helps describe the African residents of Poponguine. Furthermore, the two groups, the Inseparables and the Kings, were the teenagers of the town who followed the styles of the western society. However, the older residents followed more of the African traditions. In addition, the French and American music symbolized how changing culture in the African society is a factor today. In other words, the older people of Poponguine wore traditional African clothes and the younger kids wore modern clothes that Americans or Europeans would wear. As Mr. Benoit said, a changing culture leads to prosperity. I believe that Absa wanted to portray the American culture in more of a funny way (with music) and portray the European culture as something good. Furthermore, the people in Poponguine were able to speak French and Wolof. In sum, Absa's had many themes that wanted to portray the changing African society due to western influences.

Absa did well directing the movie in some ways. For example, the viewer is able to see the difference between the young and the older people of Africa and their differences. In addition, Absa does a good job of showing how technology is hard to come by in Africa. For instance, when the TV was brought to Poponguine, the In's and the Kings were able to stop feuding; in addition, the French singer, Frank Larry, played in town and stopped the feuding too. In contrast, Absa did not do a good job of portraying the American society. The Kings and In's are addicted to American music and the surrounding affairs of the famous singers. This seems to come to the point that America is surrounded by the gossip of its stars. However, there is more to a music culture that America has.

I like the way Absa,the author and director of the movie,used to tell the story. Simple, nonprofessional actors/actress, and low-cost(I believe) are this movie's characteristic. It is describing a "world" in a boy's eyes and his life in a sea-shore village, Popenguine, Senegal. In fact, in this small ordinary village, there is a "world" alive! The author use his direct simple way to display a situation that different cultures are interweaving and interacting each other in the tiny place.

As well as all good movies, it gives its audience a room to think. When the young generation grow up with the western culture, what will happen to their own culture? extinguish or survive, or still alive in the "corner" where have been forgotten by the rest of the world. Because of the "room" for imagination, different person will have different opinion from his/her different position of view. Like an ancient Chinese saying: "the benevolent see benevolence and the wise see wisdom", I think Absa love to see the different cultures in Senegal can get along with each other harmoniously.

Have you ever wondered what it's like in Africa? I know I have, as an American that has never been to Africa, because all we hear about is the troubles and animals of Africa. That doesn't tell what it's like to live there. Ça Twiste à Popenguine gives us an idea. This film was made partially as a reaction to the writings of authors like Fanon. Writers, such as Fanon, have written about the idea of the colonization of the mind which is the idea that the whites make the blacks in Africa feel inferior in culture and are pressed to take on aspects of the white culture.

The clothes, music, and language and other elements of culture shown in the movie have aspects of French and American culture as well as the native culture. This shows that the colonization of the mind is false because they are using all of the cultures in different situations. This is an interesting way to perceive life in Africa, and firmly contradicts what we hear about Africa since it's 'apparently' uncivilized, uneducated, and unsanitary. This doesn't mean that the issues we hear about aren't a problem, but rather shows that life in Africa is different from life in America but not as different as we are led to believe. There are still parts of their lives that we can relate to. This movie gives a positive look on colonization and shows how there is give and take between cultures.

I would recommend this movie to anyone that is curious as to what living in Africa is like while looking for a reason to smile.

Ca Twiste a Popenguine allows its' viewers to take a somewhat raw glimpse into the conflict between generations, caused by the colonization of one's country. Moussa Sene Absa (director and writer) does not convey a clear pro or con stance on the changing culture of Senegal, but does provide a rather complete look at both sides of the issue. He provides this raw look through his characters and their interactions with one another, the setting (Poponguine, Senegal), and time frame (1960's) of the film.

Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a movie best suited for one with some background information about Senegal or Africa in general. An uniformed (or entertainment-seeking) viewer would most likely miss the messages being sent by Absa; However, he does include many humorous perceptions of the American culture throughout the movie to keep the attention of the uniformed!

The movie to me was basically teaching the viewer about the cultural distractions that the Wolof people in Senegal are beginning to be more influenced by other then there own. In the movie we see that the youth in the village of Popenguine dress in a European style of clothing while there parents stay true to there culture and dress in the traditional clothing. The youth also are very interested in music but not of there culture, but rather music from the United States and Europe.

The director, Moussa Sene Absa's did a below average job directing, since there are scenes that are shot in the day then suddenly are in the night time. The actors were not impressive either, but one interesting note is that they were non-actors cast for there roles. This really does the movie some justice and gives you a very raw and authentic feel.

On the back of the DVD box, the description of this film states that it is "an African equivalent of George Lucas' American Graffitti and Spike Lee's Crooklyn. I do see the resemblance, but I do see a very obvious difference between the two films. American Graffitti is a coming of age film about the shenanigans of a bunch of teens who spend their night driving around in cars and trying to find someone to love for the night. Though Ca Twiste is similar in nature, there are many other factors contributing to the film that makes it more complex than Graffitti. In Ca Twiste, there is the issue of dealing with post-modernism and also post-colonialism.

The way that the kids have their cliques is really funny. I enjoyed watching the Kings and The Inseparables interact. After reading one of the other IMDb reviews, I found that the actors are not trained; therefore, making the actors seem more realistic.

Monsieur Benoit was the character that really stood out for me in this film. He had his faults such as being a belligerent drunk. I like that he is a character who is on a journey considering that he is suffering from colonialism and does not know where he belongs. I liked that he said he had never found "fruit" in a woman since his previous fiancé.

One thing that people may not be accustomed to is the fact that many people in Senegal, and Africa for that matter, are not accustomed to having appliances like TVs around. So it may come as a shock when some who watch this film realize that not all peoples have access to TVs.

I found this film to be very entertaining and enlightening of other cultures, as well as a great commentary of the effects of post-modernism and post-colonialism.

Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a movie that I feel gives a good view of how cultures can be consumed and the consequences of consumption. There several instances where the Ins and the Kings are disappointed after futile attempts to become like the youth of western civilization. The more the Ins sought after western culture the more they lose, this was a powerful message. I believe Moussa Sene Absa accurately displays the world of Popenguine and the impact the French culture has on it. I also think that he director's decision to use people from that area made the story more real to the viewer.

It has been my experience that international cinema is usually different from that of the west. These differences may have been what caused me to dislike some parts of the film. There were some instances when I wasn't sure if certain events were a metaphor for a greater point or just a side bar conversion Absa wanted to add. Some of the school scenes I did not quite understand the relevance of. However, my views may be a product of the western cinema I am accustomed to.

I would not recommend this movie unless you had an interest in African culture. Otherwise, the purpose of the movie and its theme may be lost to the viewer. This is not a Friday night movies and pizza, feature. But if you are interested or familiar with African culture or literature, "Ca Twiste a Popenguine" is a nice tour of Senegal.