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Adama struggles with duty as village chief, while Banel spirals into mystical chaos.
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Banel and Adama are fiercely in love. The young married couple lives in a remote village in northern Senegal. For them, nothing else exists except each other. But for the rest of their tight-knit village, duty dictates that Adama soon accept the role of chief. The two lovers have their own plans… until something in the air changes. The rains do not come, the cattle begin to die, the men leave. The curse weighs on Adama's sense of duty, and the chasm between them drives Banel into a feverish, mystical chaos. A rare debut feature that premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and Senegal's official submission to the 96th Academy Awards, "Banel & Adama" is a lush and lyrical West African dreamscape, a tragic romance that soars to the heights of longing and descends deep into the realm of myth as it sets its protagonists' perfect everlasting love on a collision course with their community’s traditions.
"Banel & Adama is perhaps one of the most sensitive films of 2024. In the story, the lead couple—who give the film its name—are madly in love. They live in a remote village in northern Senegal. For them, nothing else matters: not work, not village leadership, nothing. However, their eternal and perfect love collides with the community's customs in a world where there’s no room for passion, let alone chaos. An emotional, delicate film with much to say, it was part of the official selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival."