ADHIAMBO OTIENO.
SHEIKH OUMAR SISSOKO’S LA GENESE.
Sissoko’s version of Genesis is an eye opener. The movie is set in Africa. Which gives us the opportunity to finally look at the bible from an African point of view. According to Sissoko, in the movie La Genese, the issues that are brought out in the book of Genesis chapters 27 to 31 are more or less the issues that African societies grapple with. The stories in the bible are not far from us. In telling the story of Dinah, and by extension the story of Jacob and his sons, he brings out some of the issues that an African family, in the traditional sense, grapples with.
Polygamy is a common practise within Africa. In fact across the whole continent, it is an accepted custom, practised by many African communities. Polygamy in Africa is practised for many reasons. The main reason for polygamy was however to keep men, and women, from having extra-marital affairs. Another reason polygamy was practised in Africa was to keep the wives of the family within the family. Where a brother would step in to take care of his brothers’ wife and children in the event of a brother’s death.
Jacob was a polygamous man.( Not by choice.) And Sissoko in this movie clearly brings out the conflicts of a polygamous family using Jacob’s family. This comes out in the completion for Jacob’s attention, by the wives, where the wives even give their handmaids to Jacob to get children for Jacob. This movie shows Leah’s frustration at being the rejected wife. The movie starts with Dinah washing Joseph’s cloak, which Leah has asked Dinah to wash hoping it will divert Jacob’s attention from the sorrow of losing his son Joseph, who he thinks is dead, back to his family, that still lives, his wife, and his sons and daughters.
This movie also brings out the sibling rivalry that is between Jacob’s sons. From earlier stories of the bible, we see clearly the preferential treatment, Joseph, Racheal’s son, is given. This brings about an acute animosity among the sons of Jacob. They eventually choose to sell him to merchants headed for Egypt. From the onset of the movie, there is a sense of guilt, every time the sons of Jacob are shown on the screen. A feeling of……they know something the rest do not know….Another thing that I find a bit strange in the movie is the fact that from the onset of the movie, Jacob’s brother Esau is aware of what Jacob’s sons did to Joseph. That they betrayed Joseph. A feeling that Esau probably shares with Joseph, because he too, felt betrayed by the brother and was seeking revenge.
Sissoko clearly shows a divided Africa. In focusing on just these two communities, the shepherds and the farmers, he shows the diversity of culture, and of the ways in which the African ways od life differ. Hamor, Shechem’s father, treats Jacob the way he would treat a brother. He shows knowledge of the shepherds culture , telling us that it is important to know each other’s cultures. In essence, we should respect each other’s cultures and the differences are what should bring us together, rather than separate us. Notice that Dinah’s episode with Shechem is what triggers all the actions in this movie. Where, at first, one community tries to impose their culture on another community, by requiring them to circumcise their males. This ends up bringing a lot of disunity among the communities. But when Hamor calls for the meeting, they are able to amicably sort out their differences without resorting to war. This si Sissoko’s way of telling Africa that together we are stronger. Together we can actually fight all the injustices that have been brought on the African peoples, injustices like colonialism. And current problems like poverty, disease, war, and hunger. It is not wrong to be Christian, but it is indeed not right, to forget where we come from. Essentially, our roots.
In looking at Genesis from a cultural point of view, we see how, the jewish culture, like the African culture, is male dominated. Dinah’s brothers are more bothered by the dishonour Dinah has brought the family following her ‘rape’ by Shechem. Dinah however shows a lot o strength in this movie. It was her decision to ‘flirt’ with Shechem. In hindsight, Dinah knew what she was doing all along. She also knew what Shechem was going to do. I mean if Hamor knew about the culture of the shepherds, surely Dinah also knew something of Shechem’s culture? The voice of the women is not heard in this movie. This does not mean it is not there. It is just not heard. Leah’s cry after the rape of Dinah when Hamor comes to ‘marry’ her, is ignored. Dinah only starts being heard when she has lost her human voice, and gained the voice of the ancestors. Judah’s daughter in law also has no voice. But does indeed also gain her voice by tricking Judah into impregnating her and getting twins by him. When Dinah is taken by Shechem, she loses her virtue, her virginity, Her voice as a woman. So much so that now, its her brothers talking on her behalf, without even consulting her. When Hamor comes bearing gifts after Dinah’s episode with Shechem, Dinah’s mother Leah is enraged. Angry at the fact that her own daughter is also now going to get married under duress. Forced into it because of circumstances. This situation probably reminds her how she herself got married. Leah is also angry at her husband Jacob because he shows indifference to Dinah’s plight. Leah cries at the fact that her daughter has been turned into a whore. This brings out the question of whether Leah was crying because she is aware that Dinah practically ‘sold’ herself to Shechem, or because she feels betrayed by her husband? Dinah loses her sanity but gains her voice eventually because it is her that tells her brothers at the end of the movie to go to Egypt.
Hamor, during the scene of trying to marry Dinah, calls Leah a noble woman. That sentence only brings out the fact that there indeed was, a hierarchy of classes in the traditional African society. This is a direct response to the stereotypte created by the white man that African are savages and lack structure in any facet of their lives. Clearly for one to call another a Nobleman or Woman , meant that this person was of a higher social class than others.
From a purely feministic point of view, it is clear that in this movie, women do have a voice, but their voices are only heard in the confines of rebellion. Dinah and Tamar rebel against the norm, against their culture. Dinah by going out of her way in flirting with Shechem, Tamar by tricking her father in law into sleeping with her. It is the women in this movie that are quietly transforming the society by their actions.
Lastly the rebellion within Sissoko himself shows itself. He shoots this movie in his native Bambara language, with English subtitles rather than the other way round which is seen as the norm. He chooses not to use the language of the colonialist, the language of power. He brings out, in this movie his desire to change the status quo. This is Sissoko’s way of telling Africa to chart its own way, rather than follow others down a path that is unfamiliar to us.
