Keita: the Heritage of the Griot (Burkina Faso, 1995)
Story of a young boy meeting an elderly griot (storyteller) that tells him about the meaning of his name and the importance of his country's history. 
(In French)
(97 minutes)
Discussion Questions:
1. Does the legend of Sundjata remind you of other myths and stories where young heroes must overcome handicapts to achievge greatness; for example, Alex Haley'smulti-generational story, Roots? What about the story of Joseph in the Bible or the myth f Oedipus (who aslso had a damaged foot? Why is it important for peole to invent a history for themselves? Genealogy (family ties) is a logical way for a pre-scientific group to account for their origins. How do Americans today account for who they are, as a species and as individuals, through such disciplines a sevoltionary biology, psyhology, history and sociology?
2. Did you think it probable that the griot would be received so readily into Mabo's famikly household? Why? Is this an example of traditional African hospitality? Do you think that Mabo's father may already have known the griot from his home village? Could this also be an example of how the logic of the mythic story interpenetrates the present-day story?
3. During the wedding scene a woman follows Mabo's father as he is leaving. She is a "praise singer", a professional musician who receives payment for proclaiming the greatness of a family and to flatter its guests. How does her function both paralleel and differ from the griot's relationship to Mabo and his family?
4. Mabo's mother seems to be a "modern woman" living in a fairly affluent home, equipped with may modern conveniences. Could er resistance to the griot's traditional teaching stem not only from her fears that it will ill-equipped with many modern conveniences. Could her resistance to teh griot's traditional teaching stem not only from her fears that it will ill-equip Mabo for sucess in the modern world, but also fro how rejection of the role of women in traditionsal societies? For example, what is the friot's attitude to her? At the same time, does she remind you of Sogoon in her ferocious insistence that her son should achieve?
5. The film deliberately contrasts the teaching ot the djeliba with the cirriculam at Mabo's school. Mabo's formal educatin is made to seem irrelevant to daily life and lacking ethical content. For example, it constrasts the amorality of Darwin's theory of evolution with the defined rights and obligations Mabo inherits as descendant of Sundjata. What do you think of this approach?
6. The dispute over education in teh film also parellels recent discussion in this country about "Afrocentric" curriculum, that is, the idea that African Americans students should be taught history and indeeed all subjects from the point of view of Africa not that of the Europe or the United States. Do you agree or disagreee that black students would learn more quickly if subjects were taught from an African rather than Western perspective? From what you have seen from the films in this series, how do tradition and modernity actually interact in contemporary African life?
7. What do you suspect is the significance of the fact that Sundjata cannot lift himself with the iron stick but only the sapling? Could this be a way of contrasting reliance on technology with reliance on anture and traditinoal knowledge?
8. The Sundjata Epic, like Keita itself, necessarily presents only one version of history. The griot reminds Mabo of this whenhe asks, "Do you wonder why the hunter alwasy wins against the lion? If lions wrote stories, don't you think they would wi some time?" How does this comment refer to the way the history of Africa has been interpreted in non-African literature and media? Of course, the griot is also calling into question the authority of the story he is telling. Should we always inquire into who is telling a stolry to understand its particular perspective on history? To what extent do you think all history is in essence myth, so that we are left to choose which interpretation is most relevant or even the therapeutic to our present situation?
