And So Angels Die- Heather's Response

“And So Angels Die” was pretty confusing to me. There were a couple different stories going on in the film and I was not familiar enough with the characters to understand who was who. I did understand the diasporic aspects, Mory moved to France to make money and live where his wife was from, but he was living paycheck to paycheck and did not enjoy it. His dad wrote him a letter about a second wife, and even though he did not want one, it made him visit home. When it came down to the second wife, he woman’s father chose a German man with money. Again, like the mask in “Black Girl”, it all comes down to money. It was hard for Mory and Diouana, from “Black Girl”, to live away from their home and cultures, which to me, is completely understandable.

As an American viewer, I think it was harder for me to understand because I am not used to that kind of drama. I think that the films were made for both cultures- the Senegalese and Europeans. One, to show the people of Senegal that their troubles are real and that they are being heard. Also, they could be made for European viewers to show the affects of diaspora and colonialism. Another reason it could be for European viewers is because, in her piece, Mermin states, “Even in Senengal, Senegalese films are hard to find” (Mermin: 3). Films are not as easily accessible to the people of Senegal as they are to Europeans.