Cheick Oumar Sissoko is an African film director from Mali who has made a startling drama of high emotion out of stories about the house of Abraham taken from chapters 33-37 of the book of Genesis. Jacob (Sotigui Kouyate) is in mourning for his beloved son Joseph who has disappeared. Everyone assumes that he has been torn by wild beasts in the wilderness. In addition, Jacob is being hunted by his enraged brother Esau (Salif Keita) who can't forgive him for stealing his birthright. He is waiting for the right moment to avenge himself.
Jacob's life gets even more complicated when his daughter Dina (Fatoumata Diawara) is kidnapped by Sichem, a Canaanite prince, and raped. Although he shows remorse and vows to marry her, Jacob's sons by Leah are outraged. They attack the community and slay every male, leaving only the chief Hamor (Balla Moussa Keita). Dina is so shocked by the slaughter than she goes mad. The final sequence imaginatively depicts Jacob's night where he wrestles with God.
Genesis has the same stark simplicity and narrative power as Pasolini's The Gospel According to St. Matthew. The innovative cinematography and the colorful costumes add to the overall impact.
