Film Screening and Discussion: Da Monzon

The Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Annenberg School for Communication at The University of Pennsylvania present a film screening of Da Monzon, The Conquest of Samanyana: The Discovery of the History of Mali. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Sidy Diabaté.

Da Monzon, which won the top prize in the Pan African Film Festival of Ouagadougou, traces the preparation and consquest of Samanyana by Da Monzon of Ségou. The film is set during the period of Mali's history marked by the existence of several large kingdoms. In his drive for power, Da Monzon led the most celebrated of his battles at Samanyana. Da, having ascended the throne of Ségou after the death of his father, had the weighty responsibility of succeeding where his father had failed, namely in defeating King Bassi Diakité of Samanyana.

Program is free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by the Department of Anthropology and the Cinema Studies Program at UPenn.