Dani Kouyaté's film Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions is a powerful, Afro-noir thriller from one of Africa’s most celebrated filmmakers. For more than 50 years, Burkina Faso has been an important hub of Africa’s rich arthouse film scene, and director Dani Kouyaté is one of its biggest names. His newest film, Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions, is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the timeless and universal story of power, political intrigue, and ambition. The film is rendered in black and white, and the actors speak Mooré, one of the dominant languages in Burkina Faso. After a failed conspiracy against the crown, King Pazouknaam names his cousin Katanga as head of the armed forces. Pushed by his ambitious wife, Katanga kills the king and takes the throne — and then there is no deed too low to keep his grip on power. In Mooré with English subtitles. Image courtesy of the filmmaker.
Additionally, Dani Kouyaté will join Prof. Ryan Skinner (Music and AAAS) for Skinner’s “Inaugural Lecture” on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Faculty Club (4–5:30 p.m.), “Dialogue as Humanistic Inquiry.” In this lecture, Kouyaté and Skinner will introduce their collaborative book project, Openings: The Life, Work, and Worldview of a Cinematic Griot, and discuss Kouyaté’s new film.
Supported by an Ohio State Arts and Humanities Large Grant from the College of Arts and Sciences and co-sponsored by the School of Music and Department of African American and African Studies.
Lectures in Musicology is co-sponsored by The Ohio State University Libraries.
- Lectures are held Mondays at 4 p.m. in the 18th Avenue Library, 175 W. 18th Ave. (Music/Dance Library, second floor, room 205), unless otherwise noted. These events are free and open to the public. Campus visitors, please use either the Tuttle Park Place Garage or the Ohio Union South Garage. All other garages in the vicinity of the 18th Ave. Library are closed to visitors before 4 p.m.
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All events are subject to change.