African Film Archive

Contras' City

1968 — Djibril Diop Mambety — Senegal

short · documentary, comedy · liberation

Made when Djibril Diop Mambety was 23 with no formal film training, this short tours postcolonial Dakar by horse-drawn wagon, juxtaposing colonial-era government buildings against the city's markets and mosques, and is considered Africa's first comedy film.

Fun fact: Mambety himself appears on camera, narrating the tour in conversation with a French woman played by Inge Hirschnitz.

Notes: Mambety's first short film, made prior to his features Touki Bouki (1973) and Hyenas (1992). Year corrected 2026-07-29 from 1969 to 1968 per Wikipedia and festival archives.

Verification: verified · Sources: [1] [2] [3]

Poster source: Wikipedia