My Voice

A young African woman learns that finding love and happiness need not come at the sacrifice of one’s identity in director Flora Gomes 2002 romantic musical My Voice. Young and beautiful, Vita (Fatou N’Diaye) decides to leave her home in West Africa to study in Paris. Before Vita leaves, her mother (Bia Gomes) nervously reminds her of the family curse stating that any female in their lineage who sings will be struck dead. Vita reassures her mother that she will do no such thing and leaves to begin her new life. Shortly after arriving in Paris, however, she meets and falls in love with a young French musician named Pierre (Jean-Christophe Dolle), who — in a moment of romantic abandon — convinces Vita to sing. Pierre’s astonishment at Vita’s obvious talent for music prompts him to convince her to record an album, which she does but almost immediately regrets upon remembering her promise to her mother about the curse.