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Hyenas (French: Hyènes) is a 1992 Senegalese film adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's Swiss-German satirical tragicomedy play The Visit (1956),[1] directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty. The intimate story of love and revenge parallels a critique of neocolonialism and African consumerism. It was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
| Hyenas | |
|---|---|
 film poster | |
| Directed by | Djibril Diop Mambéty |
| Written by | Djibril Diop Mambéty |
| Based on | The Visit (1956 play) by Friedrich Dürrenmatt |
| Produced by | Pierre-Alain Meier Alain Rozanès |
| Starring | Ami Diakhate |
| Cinematography | Matthias Kälin |
| Edited by | Loredana Cristelli |
| Music by | Wasis Diop |
| Distributed by | California Newsreel Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Senegal |
| Language | Wolof |
Hyenas tells the story of Linguere Ramatou, an aging, wealthy woman who revisits her home village of Colobane. Linguere offers a disturbing proposition to the people of Colobane and lavishes luxuries upon them to persuade them. This embittered woman, "as rich as the World Bank", will bestow upon Colobane a fortune in exchange for the murder of Dramaan Drameh, a local shopkeeper who abandoned her after a love affair and her illegitimate pregnancy when she was seventeen.
- Ami Diakhate as Linguère Ramatou
- Djibril Diop Mambéty as Gaana
- Mansour Diouf as Dramaan Drameh
- Calgou Fall as the priest
- Faly Gueye as Mme. Drameh
- Mamadou Mahourédia Gueye as the Mayor
- Issa Ramagelissa Samb as the professor
Critical response to the film was mostly positive. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 91% of critics gave the film positive reviews. Hyenas was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
- "A timeless story...The strong story line and fine ensemble acting provide a faster, more easily assimilated rhythm than many African films." - Variety
- "This pungent film adaptation's change of locale lends the tale a new political dimension...(Mambety) inflects the grim drama with an edge of carnival humor. This film carries a sting!" - The New York Times
- "This wicked tale, told with wit and irony, has all the ingredients of a crowd-pleaser." - The Village Voice
- "Funnier and warmer than Dürrenmatt ever dared to be but with the tale's bleak, ominous edges still in evidence." - New York Newsday
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