Educational Media Reviews Online

Altiné is a married woman with two children, who lives in a small village in the West African country of Senegal. This area of Senegal is generally dry for nine months out of the year, and finding enough water to survive at that time can be difficult. She and her family spend three hours every day going to the nearest well to collect water for the 15 members of their extended family. At the well they meet families from other villages, and exchange the news of the region. They go to and from the well in donkey carts, over hot, dusty and unpaved roads. Their life in the village is often hard, with most of their time dedicated to tending livestock, grinding grain, cooking, and cleaning. They have few of what those in the western world would call "modern conveniences." In spite of all of this, Altiné and her fellow villagers seem quite content with their lives. She has seldom left her village, has little knowledge of the outside world, and little interest in learning about it. Her greatest hope is that she will remain healthy, have enough to eat, and always be close to her family. Altiné's sense of contentment permeates the film, as well as those watching it. The viewer sees her interacting with her fellow villagers in a quiet and relaxed way. There is frequent laughter among them, and a sense of all being right with the world. Her only anxiety is over the lack of sufficient amounts of water through much of the year, but even that does not seem to dampen her spirit.

Certain aspects of Altiné's life will doubtless be troubling to some viewers. Her marriage was arranged by her parents and those of her husband, and polygamy is common in their society. Surprisingly enough however, Altiné is untroubled by any of this. An arranged marriage seems both proper and beneficial to her. She is her husband's only spouse, but she would welcome another wife, who would then be expected to share the household chores with her.

The film has minimal narration, but what is there is quite informative. Interviews with Altiné are subtitled, but her frequent conversations and other activities are neither subtitled nor explained. This lack of explanation does not distract from the film's impact however. The imparting of detailed information seems to be a secondary goal of the filmmakers here. Their primary purpose is to give the viewer a taste of a particular place, time, and lifestyle. They do this very well, and the translation of each word spoken is not necessary to that purpose. The quality of both the audio and video are quite good, but the narrator speaks in an accent that may be difficult for some to understand.

This will be the most useful to undergraduate or graduate students of African history, African studies, women's studies, anthropology or sociology. Because of its short length, and relative lack of detail, it is best suited for those who already have some experience in the subject areas mentioned, or for those who want only a brief, but still intriguing, glimpse into life in another culture.

Highly Recommended