"Return of the Adventurer" (1966) is a satirical take on the western genre and cultural imperialism. This short film places you right in the middle of the wannabe cowboyz served with a melange of characters including a Giraffe; trying to be the most hipster cowboyish in the village. Don't assume this is a perfect satire with the cowboys saving the town, getting the girl, fighting the bad guys and ride out into the sunset. This film uses the genre as an subtle metaphor for white cultural imperialism that fuels insecurity and doubt leading to the point of complete breakdown. The story begins when an African boy from Niger returns from the United States to his country. He brings back a suitcase full of cowboy costumes and goodies (guns, badges, lassos) for his friends. The returning adventurer gives a new identity, cool names to everyone in the gang and they get to live the cowboy fantasy at any cost. They go to the extent of disrupting peace, turning into rebels, chasing a giraffe in the desert (believe me) and ransack the village. But surprisingly, this plot never turns into a poor man's tragedy story as a tearjerker trope (like what a lot of directors often do) with the theme.
I want to remember Nigerien actress Zalika Souley (Queen Christine), the only girl in the gang, cladded in denim, mounted on a white horse. She is the 1st sub-Sahara African woman to star on the silver screen. She gave a lot for culture, especially for African Cinema and worked with the great Oumarou Ganda, Djingarey Maïga and Mamane Bakabé. She is no more, sadly passed away last July, aged 74. I really recommend serious cinephiles to check out her incredible filmography, or hunt down filmmaker Rahmatou Keïta's documentary on Zalika Souley.
Coming to the film, it is a funny mess (budget) with honest performances, great cinematography, decent background score. It is not the perfect film by the pioneering Nigerien filmmaker Moustapha, i know he has made better films some of them are dated in terms of the making. But he always had recurring themes and created a profound impact on African politics and which still casts a shadow across.