Dancing the Twist in Bamako
Black Cinema Series

Dancing the Twist in Bamako

Sunday, November 30, 2025  | 3:00pm

Little Theatre 1 (240 East Ave.)
Doors open at 2:30pm

Standard ticket prices
Tickets available online in advance, at our box office during open hours, or at the door (if tickets remain).

Mali, 1962. The youth of Bamako dance the twist to rock and roll music newly imported from the West and dream of political renewal. Samba, a young socialist, falls for spirited Lara during one of his missions to the bush. To escape her forced marriage, she secretly flees with him to the city. But Lara’s husband won’t let them be and the Revolution soon brings painful challenges as they dream of a future together.

A panel discussion will follow the screening, with:

  • LEAH MALLORY | Moderator
  • DR. SIDNEY ROSENZWEIG | Panelist
  • MODY BOUARE | Panelist

Not Rated | 2 hr 9 mins | Romance, Drama | 2021
France, Canada, Senegal | French with English subtitles

Directed by Robert Guédiguian

Short Film, preceding the feature

HBCU Unity and Hope

Unity and Hope: The Pride of the HBCU, a WXXI production, part of HBCU Week NOW, a national public media project.

For nearly 200 years, historically Black colleges and universities have helped break cycles of poverty and build the Black middle class. This past September, Rochester hosted the second annual ‘Baldwin Richardson Foods Frederick Douglass HBCU Football Classic’, ushering in a tide of Black excellence and opportunity for Rochester’s youth.

More details

About the series

Black Cinema Series
Black Cinema Series

The Little Theatre’s Black Cinema Series, presented in partnership with the Rochester Association of Black Journalists (RABJ), screens both scripted and non-fiction films about the Black experience. With an emphasis on contemporary independent films, the series highlights Black perspectives and filmmakers, with screenings and panel discussions with community experts and filmmakers. More details about the Black Cinema Series Browse all films in this series