M'Bissine Thérèse Diop of Senegal, a pioneer actor in African cinema, is best known for her performance in the classic film La Noire de... (1966, Senegal and France), by Ousmane Sembène. While she has had a relatively small presence in African cinema, her role as Diouana in La Noire de... looms large and has ensured her place in the chronicles of African film history, as the film itself is of historical importance. She talks about her life on and off the screen.