Sarah Maldoror, pan-African cinema pioneer, dies of COVID-19 at 90

Sarah Maldoror, French filmmaker and pioneer of pan-African cinema, has died from COVID-19 complications in Paris, France.  She was 90. 

According to RFI, a French-based news outlet, Maldoror’s family announced her demise on Monday.

Born Sarah Ducados to a Guadeloupian father and a mother from the southwest of France (Gers) on July 19, 1929, the filmaker chose her artist’s name in remembrance of ‘The Songs of Maldoror’, the work of Lautréamont, a French poet.

Maldoror became prominent following the release of ‘Sambizanga’, her movie which chronicled the 1961–1974 war in Angola.

She had a blissful movie career, securing several awards including a ‘Tanit d’or’ at the 1972 Carthage Film Festival.

The movie star’s death has continued to draw tributes from various quarters for her contributions to various African liberation movements.

Sunu Jounal, a platform for amplifying African voices, took to its social media page to pay its condolence to the family of the deceased, describing her as a “evolutionary cinéaste”.

“We are very saddened by the news of the great Sarah Maldoror’s passing. She was a revolutionary cinéaste and her films helped shape and solidify the Pan-African cinematic canon. Rest in peace Sarah Maldoror. Our thoughts are with her family,” it wrote on Twitter.

We are very saddened by the news of the great Sarah Maldoror’s passing. She was a revolutionary cinéaste and her films helped shape + solidify the Pan-African cinematic canon. Rest In Peace Sarah Maldoror. Our thoughts are with her family. (Cont’d) pic.twitter.com/TSuOM7f8bZ

— SUNU (@sunujournal) April 13, 2020

Maldoror’s death further stretches the list of several celebrities who lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarah Maldoror, who made Sambizanga, one of the best films ever, has died. I've been carrying a picture of her with me for years, as a reminder of what to aim for. pic.twitter.com/E395Lj99WY

— mark cousins (@markcousinsfilm) April 13, 2020