FESPACO: The Power of African Voices
Image courtesy of Annie Spratt via Unsplash
The 28th iteration of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, or FESPACO, was held from February 25 to March 4, 2023. Founded in 1969, the now biennial event is known as Africa’s largest film festival showcasing the work of African filmmakers and takes place in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
The festival started in 1969 as Semaine du Cinéma Africain, or African Cinema Week, and was organized by the government of Burkina Faso and the French Ministry of Coopération. At the time, Burkina Faso was known as the Upper Volta and had just gained formal independence nine years before. At its conception, the Semaine du Cinéma Africain was intended to be a way for filmmakers and enthusiasts to gather at the capital and watch films, but with the message that “there exists an African cinema, which was made in Africa, by Africans, on African subjects.”
The second Semaine du Cinéma Africain was symbolic not just because more African countries were participating but also because it took place after Burkina Faso became the first Sub-Saharan African country to nationalized its film distribution, despite the monopolistic ambitions of French companies. Other African countries, such as Mali and Senegal, followed suit in the coming years.
In 1972, the Semaine du Cinéma Africain underwent some structural changes that made it more of the pan-African film competition it is today: It was renamed Festival Panafricain du Cinéma d’Ouagadougou, or Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), and incorporated a competitive frame and a grand prize.
The cultural significance of FESPACO lies in the way it showcases African stories told by African voices. This year, Burkinabe director Apolline Traore's film Sira shows the resilience and strength of African women as they fight to keep their families together in jihadist-controlled territories. Sira’s struggles are the reality faced by many women in Burkina Faso, which is currently battling against an extremist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives. Another director, Moussa Sene Absa from Senegal, chose to focus on forced marriage in his film “Xale, les blessures de l'enfance", or The Injuries of Childhood. These films bring the stories of many African women to a broader audience. As Traore says, “I simply have to give them a voice.”
This year’s theme was “Culture of Peace,” perhaps speaking to the hopes of African civilians in war-torn areas of the continent. Right now, Burkina Faso is going through a humanitarian crisis, worsening as attacks by non-state armed groups continue. Despite political instability in Burkina Faso, the film festival has never been canceled, given its important purpose of unifying the continent through arts and culture. For many Burkinabes, the film festival is more than just watching films. Burkinabe actress Maimouna Ndiaye says, “We only have FESPACO left to prevent us from thinking about what's going on… This is the event that must not be canceled no matter the situation."
Beyond a platform for social commentary, FESPACO is also a cultural continuity amidst conflict in Burkina Faso and other areas of Africa. The amplification of African voices in these films is much needed in today’s world, where media enables stories to be told and spread globally.
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