ADAMA

TEACHING PACK

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL UK 2018

Resources produced and compiled by Lise Morel, Comprehensive French Languages Services in Edinburgh @ edilang.com

ADAMA

Synopsis In 1916, Adama is 12. He lives in an isolated country in West Africa, a place called the Land of the Cliffs. One night, Samba his big brother who

was supposed to finish an initiation suddenly runs away to sign up to fight for the Nassaras, an unusual dialect word referring to white people or

strangers, in this case the French. Adama is determined to go after Samba and bring him back, braving a journey across continents and through

the perils of deserts, seedy Parisian back streets and, finally, beyond the trenches of the front line into no man’s land near Verdun. (from

https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2015/10/18/london-film-festival-2015-adama-review/)

Information

Duration 82'

Nationality France

Directed by Simon Rouby

Screenplay Julien Lilti, Simon Rouby

Script Julien Lilti

Editor Jean-Baptiste Alazard

Sound Yan Volsy

Music Pablo Pico

Original Voices Azize Diabaté (Adama), Oxmo Puccino (Djo), Pascal N’Zonzi (Abdou), Jack Amba (Samba)

Produced by Philippe Aigle, Séverine Lathuilliere

FILM POSTER

What’s the boy’s name, in your

opinion?

Describe him. What is he holding?

« Tout homme est le gardien de son

frère » : what do you think it means

in English? What do you think of this

assertion? Do you have brothers and

sisters? Are they younger or older?

The complete title of the film is

“Adama, le Monde des Souffles”, “the

World of Breaths”: what does it

evoke for you?

POSTER’S DETAILS

What is it ? What is its significance?

ANOTHER POSTER

Describe this poster:

Who is the character in the centre of

the poster? Describe his clothes.

How do you feel about the landscape?

What differences do you notice with

the French poster?

Which poster do you prefer and why?

ADAMA’S JOURNEY

TRAILER

Read the synopsis: In 1916, 12-year-old Adama lives in an isolated village in West Africa. One evening his older brother Samba disappears. Defying the wishes of his elders, Adama sets off to find him. A quest which takes him over the sea, northwards, to the front line in Verdun.

Watch the trailer

with English

subtitles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifWuI_ebzU

Describe the various characters appearing throughout the trailer.

What seems to be the nature of their relationships?

What different landscapes can you identify?

What sounds, including music, can you hear during the trailer?

The Nassaras The word Nassaras is used several times and refers to strangers, white people in an African dialogue.

Can you find out about African languages and dialects?

CHARACTERS

Link the character to the description

● ● ● ● ●

● ● ● ● ●

Djo, a Senegalese

tirailleur

Maximin, a young Parisian

thug Samba, Adama’s brother Adama’s father

Abdou, an African

storyteller

CHARACTERS

Link the character to the description

● ● ● ● ●

● ● ● ● ●

Adama arrives in a

harbour where he meets a

poor and crazy musician.

He runs away from the

village without completing

his initiation. He is going

to fight during the war

with the Nassaras.

When he gets to France,

Adama runs away from

the custom officers and

meets a young thief.

Together they get on their

way but the young thief

steals his gold.

He finally reaches a

harbour where he meets a

man who is going to join

the army.

Adama lives peacefully in his

village with this character and

the rest of his family.

CHARACTERS

Describe Abdou and Djo’s clothes for each image

WAR

Colonial troops

What do you learn in the film about the recruitment of

the African troops?

What do the Africans expect as they enrol in the army

and take part in the war? What does the crazy musician

think about the war?

Are the African troops mixed with the European soldiers?

COLONISATION

How soldiers from the colonies are represented

Describe this document :

COLONISATION

How soldiers from the colonies are represented

Describe this document:

VERDUN’S HELL

A MODERN WAR

Describe those two paintings by Otto Dix. How do they evoke the horrors of war without showing any blood?

Otto DIX, Assaut sous les gaz, 1924, gravure

Otto DIX, Tranchées, 1917, huile sur toile

MUSIC

Music is omnipresent in Adama. Can you name the instruments on these images? If you like you

can watch a video regarding the music in the film : https://vimeo.com/138124609

Have you spotted other instruments in the film? Which ones?

RESOURCES IN FRENCH

General: ◊ https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adama_(film,_2015)

◊ https://www.afca.asso.fr/ressources/documents/1/400487b-2140-ADAMA_LE_CHEMIN-BD.pdf

Reviews: ◊ https://www.20minutes.fr/cinema/1711903-20151021-adama-voyage-initiatique-gamin-africain

Other teaching

materials: ◊ https://www.grignoux.be/fr/dpview?iddp=410&preview=true

◊ http://www.transmettrelecinema.com/media/dossiers-maitre/DM_Adama_WEB_acc.pdf

Technical

processes: ◊ 3D scanning : http://www.fondation-gan.com/nouvelles-dadama-episode-2

◊ Ferrofluids : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6IrJIvDl1LKw_yIhzHT0Q

◊ Adama making of opus 1 : sculptures (English subtitles): https://vimeo.com/132418880

◊ Adama making of opus 2 : decors & ferrofluides (English subtitles): https://vimeo.com/135227059

◊ Adama making of opus 3 : musique ( avec Oxmo Puccino ) (no subtitles): https://vimeo.com/138124609

◊ Adama making-of opus 4 : les voix (no subtitles): https://vimeo.com/141175617

◊ Adama making-of opus 5 : bruitages et creation sonore (no subtitles): https://vimeo.com/143250803

Videos: ◊ La première guerre mondiale en deux minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiw-mhqdjZY

Web & iPad app: ◊ 1/Apocalypse 10 destins : Suivez les destins de dix personnages fictifs venant du monde entier et dont les vies vont se croiser pendant la Grande Guerre. Découvrez Ismaël Tangaré, membre du Corps expéditionnaire des tirailleurs sénégalais : www.apocalypse-10destins.com

RESOURCES IN ENGLISH

General: ◊ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adama_(film)

◊ http://www.giffonifilmfestival.it/en/component/djcatalog2/item/91-edition-2015/1188-adama.html

Reviews: ◊ https://www.indiewire.com/2016/02/acclaimed-french-animated-feature-film-adama-makes-nyc-premiere-in-

march-details-154938/

◊ http://www.okayafrica.com/adama-simon-roubi-film-trailer/

◊ https://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/simon-rouby-adama-philippe-aigle-1201601251/

◊ http://syn.org.au/review-adama-australian-centre-for-the-moving-image-x-melbourne-international-film-

festival/

Technical

processes: ◊ 3D scanning : http://www.fondation-gan.com/nouvelles-dadama-episode-2

◊ Ferrofluids : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6IrJIvDl1LKw_yIhzHT0Q

◊ Adama making of opus 1 : sculptures (English subtitles): https://vimeo.com/132418880

◊ Adama making of opus 2 : decors & ferrofluides (English subtitles): https://vimeo.com/135227059