A Close-Up on Bintou

Bintou wants to make sure that her daughter goes to school, but her husband Abel doesn't think it’s worth it, because there is only enough money for the boys’ education. Bintou won’t give up and starts her own business to earn the extra money. But Abel, scared that he is losing control and that Bintou’s newfound financial freedom will lead her to adultery, tries to sabotage her efforts. Joyfully satirical, Bintou pushes aside the stereotypes of African traditions and tackles sexuality, gender relations, and even the fraught relationship between tradition and modernity with comic results. (Criterion)