Furu

Q&A with Fatou Cissé

This powerful social drama from director Fatou Cissé, daughter of legendary Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, explores the impact of forced marriage on young women in Mali. The film follows Tou, who is pressured to marry an older man after becoming pregnant, and Ami, who resists village pressure to wed in favor of her independence. Through these parallel stories, Furu examines the complex and often painful choices young women face when their futures are shaped by tradition rather than personal agency. The film confronts the enduring practice of forced marriage and its psychological consequences, offering a poignant and urgent reflection on gender, autonomy, and resistance within a patriarchal society. Preceded by a clip from Cissé’s 2022 documentary A Daughter’s Tribute to Her Father, an intimate portrayal of the life and career of Souleymane Cissé.