Frantz Fanon

Frantz Omar Fanon (1925–1961) is a French Afro-Caribbean writer, psychiatrist, political philosopher and anti-colonial activist who played a key role in treating and theorizing the psychological and psychiatric agony of colonialism. In this historical feature film, Fanon is appointed head doctor at the Blida-Joinville Hospital, where he puts into practice his theories of “institutional psychotherapy,” challenging the racist doctrines of the Algiers School of Psychiatry.

Aftertalk with university lecturer, writer and film critic Vamba Sherif and university lecturer Rachel White

When Frantz Fanon became head psychiatrist in this French colonial asylum in Algeria, he refused to treat his patients as objects. During his tenure, care became an act of resistance. But what did that colonial resistance look like? How did Fanon’s background influence his commitment to introducing a radical practice grounded in dignity, humanity and emancipation? After the film, writer and film critic Vamba Sherif will provide us with more context on Fanon’s life and cast light on his legacy that continues to affect decolonial practices and liberation movements today.

Vamba Sherif is a writer, essayist, film critic and lecturer of African literature at Leiden University. Sherif’s work includes journalistic activities, essays, stories, film reviews, columns and op-eds, published in many languages in The New York Times, Kulturaustausch, African Writing, Trouw, de Volkskrant, NRC and ZAM-Magazine. Together with Ebissé Rouw, he compiled Zwart in 2018, a unique anthology of Afro-European literature from the Low Countries. In 2021, he published his memoirs Ongekende liefde, in which he shares his life story through letters to his ten-year-old daughter Bendu. Together with Martijn Lindeboom, he compiled a collection of speculative stories called De komeet.

In collaboration with Forum Groningen