Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene made Faat-Kine at the ripe age of 78, nearly a decade removed from his previous release, 1992's Guelwaar. A cheerful movie of simple pleasures, Faat-Kine stars Venus Seye as the movie's eponymous heroine. Kine (pronounced KEE-neh) is the successful manager of a gasoline station in Dakar, and an unmarried mother of two, each the product of a failed relationship with a delinquent father. Independent, well-to-do, and equable, Kine flits between the demands of her job, her family and her friends with admirable composure. The movie follows Kine's activities with an unobtrusive eye, capturing matter-of-factly the eventfulness of daily life. Confrontations punctuate her relatively comfortable existence, from a tearful quarrel with her restive daughter to a roadside spat with a woman who accuses her of having an affair with her husband. Amid the bustle of Kine's day-to-day routine, the movie offers wistful flashbacks that explain Kine's complex but happy situation. The movie ends on a triumphant note at a party thrown by Kine for her son and daughter, where a climactic meeting between her son and his father offers an explicit glimpse into Sembene's outlook on Senegal's past and future.
~ Elbert Ventura, All Movie Guide