Director

Cheick Oumar Sissoko

Cast list

Isaach DeBankolé as Saar
Felicite Wouassi
Makena Diop
Boubacar Guiro
Danny Glover
Juliette Ba as Raabi

Credits

Producers: David Christophe Barrot, Sheryl Crown

Synopsis

Battu tells the tale of a politician a mite too ambitious, who should have thought twice before casting out the beggars from the City… For, in a country where giving alms is a divine obligation, everyone knows that Allah is vital to the smooth running of things… and that includes the government! When the beggars set in motion a ‘beggars’ strike’, the politician lays himself open to political and social upheaval, and all but sinks into the chaos of his family life…

Reviews and Articles:
“The way Sissoko dealt with the subject of beggars was a daring first for Africa.” – Louverture Films

Academic Articles:
Alternating Views By Sow, Aliou.  Africa Today, Volume 55, Number 4, Summer 2009

Du roman au film: L’Enfant noir (From Novel to Film: The Dark Child), Annyinefa, Koffi. Cahiers d’Études Africaines  Vol. 45, Cahier 177, 2005 . 239-255.