La femme au couteau (The Woman with the Knife)

Sat September 19th Open 11 AM–5 PM Join us for an afternoon screening of Timite Bassori’s La femme au couteau (The Woman with the Knife) (1969). From the Ivory Coast comes this daring 1969 drama that reflects the culture at a postcolonial crossroads. The unnamed male protagonist is an intellectual who finds reality a bit too much to bear. Haunted by visions of a woman who alternately threatens and beseeches him, he seeks out solutions from old and new worlds to try and ground him in reality. Delving unsettlingly into the sexual politics of the era and employing a jazz-inflected soundtrack, this recently restored film offers the opportunity to see a rarely screened classic of African cinema. Enjoy the film and free snacks, hand-picked by the series curator. Come early or stay late to visit our galleries—free admission is included with your ticket! Ticket includes the film, snacks—while supplies last—and gallery admission. The film starts promptly at 2pm and there are no trailers. Please arrive a few minutes early to be seated. About the series: The World of Black Film: Revolutions
 During a wave of decolonization movements and blossoming radical political consciousness, the 1960s to the early 1980s represented an electrifying period in global Black cinema. For the first time, Black filmmakers began to step behind the camera in significant numbers—to artfully explore urgent questions of memory, migration, politics, identity, and rebellion. Curated by author, programmer, and Criterion Collection Curatorial Director Ashley Clark, this series captures the thematic and stylistic diversity of the era. The series draws from Clark’s expansive new book The World of Black Film: A Journey Through Cinematic Blackness in 100 Films, an entertaining, informed, and thought-provoking survey of important and influential Black films spanning more than 100 years and 30 countries. Copies of Clark’s book will be for sale at the front desk, at a discounted price for movie-goers. Print Source: Janus Films Year: 1969 Running Time: 80 minutes Format: Blu-ray Director: Timite Bassori Country: Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) Join us for more films in the series The World of Black Film: Revolutions Saturdays, November 14, 2026–January 16, 2027, 2 PM Co-Presented by Ashley Clark & YBCA Saturday, December 12, 2026, 2 PM Co-Presented by Ashley Clark & YBCA Saturday, December 19, 2026, 2 PM Co-Presented by Ashley Clark & YBCA Saturday, January 9, 2027, 2 PM Co-Presented by Ashley Clark & YBCA Saturday, January 16, 2027, 2 PM Lead image: Mary Vieyra in La Femme au Couteau. Courtesy of The Film Foundation. YBCA programs are made possible in part by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Blue Shield Of California, Bob A. Ross Foundation, City and County of San Francisco, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Malia Simonds, Mayor Daniel Lurie, National Endowment for the Arts, Pisces Foundation, The Ron Conway Family, Salesforce, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The Svane Family Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy, Yerba Buena Partnership, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Board of Directors and Members. Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 7 PM Co-presented by Creativity Explored & YBCA Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 5–8 PM August 7, 2026–January 3, 2027 Co-Presented by GaHee Park, Michael Vass & YBCA Saturdays, August 15–October 31, 2026, 2 PM