Senegal / 1963 / 18mins / Documentary / Wolof and French

This documentary captures the sport of traditional wrestling, called ‘lamb’ in Wolof, popular in Senegal. Vieyra presents the rigorous rules of the sport and training practices by the sea. The Dakar Arena serves as a showcase for the battles in the film, where every spectator can bet on his favorite wrestler in a festive atmosphere. In 1964, Lamb was in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, a first for a film from sub-Saharan Africa.

Paulin Soumanou Vieyra

Paulin Soumanou Vieyra was born in Porto-Novo, Benin in January of 1925, but grew up in Senegal. He was a director, writer, critic and historian of African cinema. His film Afrique sur Seine, co-directed by aspiring filmmakers Jacques Melo Kane and Mamadou Sarr and shot by Robert Caristan, is credited as being one of the first francophone African films to ever be released. This quartet became known as "The African Cinema Group." Vieyra was a founding member of film institutions including The Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and the Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). Vieyra was the mentor of great figures of the seventh art, such as Ousmane Sembène, Djibril Diop Mambéty, and Ababacar Samb-Makharam. He passed away in November of 1987 at the age of 62. Learn More