Panafrican Festival of Cinéma and télévision
Of Ouagadougou
2009-1969
by Colin DUPRE
This Year, LAFF presents an Arabic translation of the important book the renowned FESPACO in Burkina Faso that gave to Egypt a special tribute as guest of honor in its 2015 edition. The author retraces the history of FESPACO and how its has crossed several political regimes which have never spared their commitment to the event. FESPACO is undoubtedly a matter of State, a showcase political. But the history of FESPACO has not only part linked with Burkina Faso and the history of the country. It has also with the cinemas of Africa. More than the other film festivals on the continent - the Journées cinématographiques de Carthage (JCC) in Tunisia or the international film Festival of Marrakech in Morocco to name these festival, FESPACO has ceased to confirm its singularity, as well as its Pan-African character, becoming a must-see media space for professionals and international partners of the 7th Art in Africa.
FESPACO offers, in fact, to many festival-goers and African professionals in particular, the pleasure of family and popular atmosphere combined with that of the discovery of missing African images on their own territory and abroad. This Singularity makes Ouagadougou a space conducive to meetings with the donors of the 7th African Art and always passionate debates, between the different generations of filmmakers, on the future of African cinema - discussions that sometimes crystallize around the Pan-African Federation of filmmakers (FEPACI) and more often on the Organization of the Fespaco itself. Despite 10 recurrent recriminations of rare African professionals are those who renounce definitively to attend the festival. FESPACO is a favorable media space for Burkina Faso and for those who participate.
Translated by Abla Salem
Introduced & Edited by Egyptian film critic
Aly Abo Shady
