Sankara Is Not Dead

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 10:01:15 GMT

Sankara Is Not Dead
Buy Now: $320.00

In the wake of Burkina Faso’s October 2014 popular uprising, the young poet Bikontine begins to question his dreams of seeking a better life in the West. On a mission to learn more about his country and meet his fellow citizens, he travels along the country’s only rail line. From south to north, through cities and villages, Bikontine learns about the hopes, dreams, and disappointments of his countrymen. His journey ultimately reveals the enduring political legacy of storied former president Thomas Sankara, assassinated in 1987 and known as the “African Che Guevara.” This poetic road movie brings viewers along as Bikontine searches for meaning in a rapidly changing society.

"Lucie Viver’s film is a beautifully shot and expressively scored portrait of Burkina Faso and its people in this moment of uncertain yet hopeful change. It integrates poetry and travel writing, with splices of Sankara’s speeches and footage of the 2014 revolution to capture people’s experiences in the aftermath of the uprising." – Benjamin Talton, Jacobin Magazine

This film is Highly Recommended and relevant for any library collection supporting a curriculum centered on colonial and post-colonial Africa, current African political unrest, the specific political experience of Burkina Faso, and Thomas Sankara. While a general audience will understand and appreciate the political and economic story being told in this film, those with a basic understand of the country's history will have a more impactful experience with this film. – Educational Media Reviews Online

SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS

Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival, Toronto, 2023

John Marshall Award for Contemporary Ethnographic Media, Camden IFF, USA, 2019
Special Jury Prize, AFRIFF (African Int. Film Festival), Nigeria, 2019
Best Documentary Feature, Budapest IFF, Hungary, 2020
First Prize "Breaking Boundaries", Rhode Island International Film Festival, USA, 2020
Special Mention, DOKer Moscow International Documentary Film Festival, Russia, 2020

Göteborg Film Festival, Sweden, 2020

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, USA, 2020

ethnocineca International Documentary Film Festival, Austria, 2020
DOXA, Canada, 2020
Cinéma du Réel, France, 2019
FIDADOC, Morocco, 2019
DOK Leipzig, Germany, 2019
MIDBO, Colombia, 2019
Trujillo Independent Film Festival, Peru, 2020

Benin City Film Festival, Nigeria, 2019
AFRIFF Africa International Film Festival, Nigeria, 2019

Les rencontres de Cinessonne, France, 2019
Festival International du Cinéma Francophone en Acadie, Canada, 2019
Out of Africa International Film Festival, Kenya, 2019
Festival Film Dokumenter, Indonesia, 2019
Festival Ciné Droit Libre, Burkina Faso, 2019

Visit Burkina Faso to see additional products in this category.

A Week of Sweet Water

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 12:25:00 GMT

A Week of Sweet Water
Buy Now: $295.00

In the Sahel region of West Africa along the southern edge of the Sahara, drought and famine are feared above other things. In 1973-74 over 200,000 people slowly starved to death during the Great Sahel Drought. Now, drought conditions have once again brought the world's attention to the plight of those living at the edge of starvation. Even with yearly rains, millions of people struggle to grow enough food to make one harvest stretch to the next. Among them are Minata and Bouremia, a couple from the village of Somiaga in Upper Volta (today Burkina Faso), who re-enact their story in this award-winning film.

A Week of Sweet Water touchingly depicts the complex decision-making process which men must endure to provide for their families, which women must face as they decide for the futures of their children, and which the community must consider as they work to develop their land for the greatest benefit.

"The coverage of the drought is excellent; the tragedy is not underplayed, but the Mossi are not merely presented as hopeless objects of pity. In fact the resurgence of Mossi self-help schemes and cooperative projects - specifically dam building - is a welcome feature."
— K.P.Vickery for CHOICE magazine

SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS

Finalist, American Film Festival

Grand Prix, European Environmental Film Festival

Visit Burkina Faso to see additional products in this category.

Documentary Educational Resources - Geography / Africa / Burkina Faso / All Films

Sankara Is Not Dead

A Week of Sweet Water