COVER STORY
VeSPAC0 1 995
Africa's
Academy
Awards
Ouagadougou, hustling capital city of
Burkina Faso (formerly known as Upper
Volta), was the scene of the 14th edition of "
FESPACO (the Panafrican Film and
Television Festival of Ouagadougou pro
nounced "wah-gah-doo-goo") February 25
March 4. For seven marvelous days film
makers, actors, actresses, film critics, jour
nalists, artists, artisans, scholars and
cinephilcs from all over the world con
verged in the Motherland Africa for a sea
son of cultural and intellectual stimulation.
FESPACO began in 1969 as the
Premiere Semaine du Cinema Africain
(First Week of African Cinema). Seven
countries participated, 24 films were
screened with l(),(XX) spectators. Since that
time, FESPACO, now held every two
years, has grown to include representation
from all of Africa and its black diaspora.
Over 150 films were shown throughout
this year's festival at Ouagadougou's many
theatres. Acrowd of 30,(XX) including 16(X)
invited guests attended the opening cere
monies. Nearly 1/4 million viewers filled
the movie theaters.
The festival received a major boost
when Thomas Sankara (popular Burkinabc
president who was assassinated in 1987)
was in office. Sankara supported the arts
and as a result Ouagadougou's urban plan
boasts modern buildings ami theatres that
arc comfortable ami suitable for hosting an
event of this magnitude. This year's theme
was "Cinema and History". All over the
world the film industry is celebrating the
centenary of the art form which dawned in
1K95.
Keeping with an old tradition. I'KS
PACO opened with a mega show at 4th of
August Stadium. It was a lively fresco that
recalled the past, the present and the future
of cinema. More than thirty thousand spec
tators were entertained for four hours by
musical artists from Burkina Faso (the
Naba Sancm Choir, popular singer
Waonga Roger and the Coba Dancers from
the city of BoboDiou lasso) and Malhatini
and the Mahotela Super Queens from
South Africa. There were herds of camels
and horses, choreographic ballets mimed
by five hundred children and an extrava
;MfH firework* that rvil *??:** ? :
iliv- shades colors ami Men* of cinema. A
v o'neurre tft s't$c sbr-.v <>n Ki?- m u>rn
recounted cinema's growth in llu* world
(Top) " Alphady also known as the Prince of Niger , one of West Africa* s
foremost fashion designers surrounded hy two of his models. Th^ ^QS
tumes were designed for the African version of the play Britannicus.
(Left) Dr. Boyd-Buggs with Mariama Hima, Niger Republic's first female
filmmaker. Mrs. Hima is the director of the National Museum of Niger.
(top) Winnie Mandela , with
Mr Gaston Kabore , presi
dent of the Pan African
Filmmakers Association
and Filippe Sawadogo ,
General Secretary of FES
PACO duing the opening of
Cotloquim "Women and
film" ( richt ) Alexandra
Akoii) Duali played the rale
of Mann in Haile's
(icrima's " Sankofa "
. Chelck Oumur Sissok >* rcah es ilw LiaUm from
President Compaore.