“Maryse Condé, the freedom to write”
She left her mark on French-speaking literature for decades. A novelist, passionate about words, she only put down her pen at the age of 87 — her last novel, The Gospel of the New World, is published in 2021, three years before his death. Throughout her life, through her writings, the most African of Guadeloupeans never stopped questioning life and in particular her identity… This film retraces her exceptional destiny, to be seen on Monday October 21 at 11:50 p.m. on France 3 .
Marise Liliane Appoline Boucolon real name, youngest of eight children, from the West Indian bourgeoisie, died last April at the age of 90. In this 52 minutes, the director Stephane Correa pays tribute to him and celebrates his extraordinary journey. First a journalist then a high school teacher in Africa, she has published a total of around thirty novels, essays and plays, all of which have been successful. In 2018, she even received the alternative Nobel Prize.
Maryse Conde is one of those great West Indian feathers which, likeAimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon or even Édouard Glissanthave shaped contemporary literature and decolonial thought. Faced with many questions, notably about her own identity, racism, slavery, colonization, etc., she managed to create a bridge between her native island and mother earth. Proof of this is, convinced of having a direct link with West Africa, one of his bestsellers entitled Segou (Malian city), published in two volumes (1984-1985), was unanimously appreciated by the public. The novel combines fiction and historical facts, notably concerning the rise and then the decline of the animist Bambara Empire, the capital of which was Ségou. The story takes place between two centuries: from the slavery period (18the century) until the start of French colonization (end of the 19the century) and revolves around the adventures of a large family, that of the Traoré.
Née Boucolonthe surname of Maryse Conde also has a link with this continent that she cherished so much. Condé is that of his second great love, Mamadou Condean actor met in Paris, known for having played the role of Archibald in the play The Negroes by Jean Genet. The two young people first settled together in 1961 in Conakry, in full Guinean independence, then they left for Senegal. From their love three daughters were born: Sylvie, Aisha et Leila. Their relationship unfortunately did not survive their numerous disagreements. After their separation, Maryse Conde will eventually settle in Accra, Ghana, with his daughters and his son Denis, from a first union.
Maryse Condé, the freedom to write is a beautiful tribute to this exceptional woman of letters!
Posted by Fanta Traore
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