Past Film/Video | Classics | Series & Festivals

Touki bouki

(Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973)

101 Films You Need to See Before Graduation

New Restoration

Info & Tickets

A black couple ride a motorcycle with a horned skull on the handlebars through a desert landscape.

Mar 03, 2025–Mar 27, 2025

Mon, Mar 03, 2:00 PM
Thu, Mar 27, 2:00 PM

Film/Video Theater

Free for all audiences with ticket

For ticketing questions please call the Visitor Desk at (614) 292-3535.

If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation to participate in this event, please email accessibility@wexarts.org or call (614) 688-3890. Visit our Accessibility page to learn more.

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One of the most exciting and influential films in African cinema, Touki bouki is a portrait of the disenchantment of postindependence Senegal in the 1970s.

In this surrealistic yet grounded drama, two young lovers long to escape Dakar and discover the glamour and pleasures that they imagine France has to offer. However, both practical and mystical forces stand in their way. Influenced both by French New Wave cinema and the realities of African life, the film has style to burn. Its influential imagery can be seen as recently as Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 2018 On the Run II tour posters, which mirror the film’s. Touki bouki’s humor, editing, soundscapes, and storytelling make the film essential viewing today—an important addition to any cinema lover’s education. In French, Arabic, and Wolof with English subtitles. (89 mins., DCP)

IMAGE CAPTION
Touki bouki, courtesy of Janus Films.

"A cinematic poem made with raw, wild energy. Touki bouki explodes one image at a time!"

Martin Scorsese

Feature: “How Beyoncé and Jay-Z Put a Visionary African Film Back in the Spotlight,” Ryan Gilbey, The Guardian

About the series

We are excited to continue our series of free matinees featuring films that everyone should see before they graduate—whether that is from Ohio State or from the school of film fandom! Working with faculty and listening to student feedback, we’re presenting an enticing and eclectic array of classics that will compliment and expand your appreciation of film history.

Tag(s)

Film/Video

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Ohio Humanities

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Mellon Foundation
Every Page Foundation
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
CampusParc
Nationwide Foundation
Lois S. and H. Roy Chope Fund of The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation
Axium Packaging