Siki

Credits

Name: Siki

Country: Niederlande

Year of publication: 1992

Format: 16 mm

Color: color and b/w

Language : OF m. engl. UT

Duration: 60 Minuten

Direction: Koppen, Niek

Screenplay: Koppen, Niek

Camera: Dixon, Kester

Editing: Disselhof, Erik

Sound: Horsch, Otto

Abstract

Shortly after World War I, M`Barick (Louis) Fall from Senegal became world famous as the first black world champion light heavyweight boxing. In a sensational fight, he - `Battling Siki` by that time - beat French idol Georges Carpentier in 1922. Only three years later, Siki died violently in New York: the tragic end to a short, but remarkable career. For nearly seventy years, the Siki legend has lived on on three continents. Different views of a colourful life: Siki as the invincible African hero; Siki as the intelligent `savage` from the jungle; Siki as the dandy, Don Juan, and bigamist. Using unique, historical footage and photographs, interviews with journalists and biographers, and witness reports by living contemporaries, Niek Koppen offers us an authentic portrait of this mythical character. (Africultures)