Yeelen

Yeelen

Year: 1987

Runtime: 105 mins

Language: Bambara

Director: Souleymane Cissé

Drama

A young man with magical powers journeys to his uncle to request help in fighting his sorcerer father.

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Timeline & Setting – Yeelen (1987)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Yeelen (1987). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Fulani territory, Rouma Boll's kingdom, Komo lands

The story unfolds across a rural, mythic West African landscape centered on a village and the wider territories ruled by the Komo and the Fulani. It moves through the Fulani territory into Rouma Boll's royal kingdom, where magic, fetishes, and tribal politics shape daily life. The environment blends pastoral villages with deserts transformed by ancient power, reflecting the clash between personal ambition and communal fate.

🏞️ Village and wilderness 🏛️ Kingdoms and tribes 🪄 Magic and ritual

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:23

Main Characters – Yeelen (1987)

Meet the key characters of Yeelen (1987), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Rouma Boll (Balla Moussa Keita)

The Fulani king who rules Rouma Boll's kingdom. He tests Nianankoro’s power when the latter proves capable of freezing guards, and he ultimately orders a pragmatic solution to the lovers’ crime by marriage rather than execution. He balances authority with reluctant mercy, navigating rivalries and the demands of his people.

👑 King 🧭 Leadership 🗺️ Diplomacy

Soma (Niamanto Sanogo)

A member of the Komo order who uses magic for self-gain and pursues his son after a vision. He sacrifices an albino man and a wild dog to appease the gods, gaining power to hunt Nianankoro. His obsession with control fuels the central conflict and his relentless chase ultimately leads to his downfall.

⚡ Power 🧭 Obsession 🗡️ Family

Nianankoro

The son of Soma, marked by destiny and the bearer of growing magical potential. He steals his father’s fetishes and seeks help from his uncle, proving resourceful and cunning as he navigates hostile territories. His journey is defined by leadership, sacrifice, and the burden of a foretold greatness.

🪄 Magic 🧭 Destiny 🗺️ Hero

Attou (Aoua Sangare)

A young Fulani woman who becomes romantically involved with Nianankoro. She becomes pregnant and travels with him while sharing in his quest for a better future. Her loyalty and resilience shape the next generation and anchor the narrative’s emotional core.

👩‍🦳 Woman 💞 Romance 🧭 Endurance

Djigui (Uncle Djigui)

Nianankoro’s uncle, who was blinded long ago for using the Wing relic for his people. He provides guidance and ultimately passes Kore's Wing to Nianankoro, warning them of the hardships to come and the responsibilities that power entangles with. His wisdom anchors the journey through perilous choices.

🧭 Mentor 🪄 Magic

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:23

Major Themes – Yeelen (1987)

Explore the central themes of Yeelen (1987), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔥 Power and Ambition

Soma uses Komo magic for self-gain, illustrating how power can corrupt and isolate a person from their community. His relentless pursuit of control drives much of the conflict and tragedy that follows. The clash between Soma's pylon and Nianankoro's Kore's Wing demonstrates how power without ethics destabilizes both individuals and the world around them. The film suggests that unchecked power can erase lineage and leave a barren landscape in its wake.

✨ Destiny

Nianankoro is marked by prophecy, with a hyena telling him that greatness awaits, shaping his choices and sense of purpose. His journey—with allies and adversaries alike—traces a path toward leadership and nation-building, even as it incurs profound costs. The relics and the egg motif reinforce that the future of his people hinges on a fragile balance between magic, fate, and sacrifice. Destiny propels him forward, while demanding he confront the consequences of power.

💘 Forbidden Love

Nianankoro and Attou’s romance grows into a forbidden liaison that threatens the social and political order surrounding them. Their decision to act on their desire leads to a confession that forces Rouma to choose between discipline and compassion. The romance tests loyalties between family, duty, and personal longing, revealing how intimate cravings can destabilize sacred power structures. The affair ultimately reshapes the characters’ destinies and their place within the kingdom.

🌀 Magic and Sacrifice

The artifacts Kore's Wing and Soma's pylon empower their users but exact a brutal price. The confrontation between father and son culminates in a cataclysmic clash that turns the landscape to sand, symbolizing the transformative and destructively liberating nature of magic. Both figures die, leaving Attou and their child to inherit a changed world. The ending underscores that magic is a force of upheaval—capable of both creation and annihilation—and requires immense sacrifice.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:23

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Yeelen Summary

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