Our second presentation of the poetry of David Mandessi Diop, following “ Les Vautours,” is a collaboration with Ousmane Sembène, the great talent who is often called “the father of African film.” The poetry of Diop is blended with the imagery of Sembène. This ‘collaboration’ is directed by me—and, in this rasx() context, the goal is to make this “mash-up” as natural as two brothers routinely doing the day’s chores. Both of these men trace their family to Senegal. Both of these men lived through was has been called “the tutelary era,” the residential colonialism of European powers in Africa—the modern renovation of the god complex.

Diop addresses these ‘tutelary deities’ directly in “To the Bamboozlers.” A single still image taken from Ousmane Sembène’s La Noire de… (Black Girl) looks to be the ideal companion for Diop’s sentiment. I hope the American, entertainment lawyers agree with me. Two more attempts are made with “Time of Martyrdom” and “The Hours,” using a handful more frames from La Noire de….

What is interesting is that Ousmane Sembène is a professional writer as well. I am curious about his opinion of the poetry of David Mandessi Diop. Should these two ‘brothers’ work together? Look and read for yourself.