Quotation
Quote by Ousmane Sembène
I don't know why I film but I am inhabited by a whole people and I must bear witness to my epoch.
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Understanding this quote
The speaker admits uncertainty about why they make films, but feels filled with the presence of many people. “Bear witness” means recording what their time is like and preserving it through film. The quote presents filmmaking as a way to give this larger human experience a visible record, rather than as a purely personal act.
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- Festival de Cannes
- Format
- Official Statement
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