OUAGA, CAPITALE DU CINÉMA
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Ougadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world. But it is also the city that hosts FESPACO, the largest pan-African film festival. Between 1983 and 1987, the city was also the setting for passionate political and cinematic utopias. After the young revolutionary president Thomas Sankara came to power, the festival became a symbol for cultural renaissance across an entire continent. Sankara’s assassination stifled the hopes of millions of young Africans, but FESPACO and African cinema lived on… In this film, Mohamed Challouf tells of this period… with participation from Africa’s most prominent filmmakers.
OUAGA, CAPITALE DU CINÉMA Direction: Mohamed Challouf, digital, OF m. engl. UT, 63 min
Guests
Mohamed Challouf, born in the Tunisian city of Sousse, graduated from university in Italy in 1979, where he co-founded the Africa Film Festival in Perugia in 1983. Later, he also worked for festivals in Milan, Locarno, Hergla and Tunis. He published a book of photographs depicting childhood in Africa and completed his training in film production at the FEMIS film school in Paris. In 2001, he created his first documentary film, OUAGA, CAPITALE DU CINEMA, which earned him an invitation to the Venice Film Festival. Since then, he has made several documentaries, including one about Tahar Cheriaa, founder of the Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage.
Dyana Gaye was born in Paris in 1975, the daughter of Senegalese immigrants. She studied film at the University of Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis. Her first appearance as a guest in Cologne was in 2002, when she showed her first short film UNE FEMME POUR SOULEYMANE. In 2004, she participated in the compilation project PARIS LA MÉTISSE with the short film J’AI DEUX AMOURS. In 2008, her short film DEWENETI was one of five productions nominated for a César award in the Best Short Film category. This was then followed by her road movie UN TRANSPORT EN COMMUN in 2009. Her first feature film DES ÉTOILES (UNDER THE STARRY SKY) premiered at the Toronto Festival in 2013 and was screened as part of the African Diaspora Cinema series in Cologne in 2015, which Dyana Gaye opened as patron.
Bernard Djatang is the co-founder and current director of the AFRICLAP festival in Toulouse. Born in 1976 in Cameroon, he went to study in France in 2006. He studied sociology at the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurés, and worked part-time as a projectionist and organised screenings of short films made by professional directors and amateur filmmakers alike. He continued his studies in media and digital communication at Paul Valéry University of Montpellier. In 2012, he made the short film JE VAIS RETROUVER MON PÈRE, and he is currently working as a producer on the film TOUT EST LIÉ. Bernard Djatang is one of the co-founders of the AFRICLAP association, which initially organised film events and debates. The first AFRICLAP festival, which is exclusively dedicated to African filmmaking, was in 2014. It has since been held annually. At the 19th AFFK he will moderate the discussion with Nejib Belkadhi.