Moolaadé

Acclaimed director Ousmane Sembene presents a morality play about the horrors of female genital mutilation. In central Burkina Faso, the "purification" ceremony for young girls is disrupted when six of them escape. Four of them make it to the house of Collé Gallo Ardo Sy, a woman who has spoken out in the past against the process. This leads to a conflict in the small village where the girls live, with murder, violence, solidarity and religious bigotry colliding in an increasingly powerful resistance. My favorite aspect of this film was the way it showed the power of television and radio to overcome the stupidity of traditionalist religion. Let’s face it: When TV and radio are smarter than your traditions, you know it’s time to change.