Mandabi

Mandabi (1968)

Genres - Drama, Comedy  |   Sub-Genres - Satire  |   Run Time - 90 min.  |   Countries - France, Senegal  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

This French-Senegal co-production is based on a story by L.S. Senghor. An out of work Senegalese man, Ibrahim (Makhouredia Gueye), receives a money order by his nephew. Unfortunately, the uncle has no identity card which will enable him to cash the check. He tries to obtain a card, but is stymied because he lacks a birth certificate. In order to get this valuable document, he must have a photograph taken...and on and on and on it goes. Thus begins Ibrahim's nightmarish foray into the honeycomb-like world of African bureaucracy.

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Keywords

bureaucracy, identification, identity, money, uncle, nephew, rip-off, against-the-system, misfortune