Projects 2023 – OUAGA FILM LAB

Black Volta

Synopsis

Madi, a father and head of family, is a fisherman and farmer. He lives in Siby, a village along the Mouhoun River. Like all the other fishermen, he is worried about the increasingly dangerous activities of the gold miners, who use all kinds of chemicals to extract the precious metal, the gold. My uncle Madi is fed up with seeing this part of the Mouhoun River, formerly known as the Black Volta, unhealthy, affecting the quality of fishing and other agricultural and livestock activities. Madi and the other fishermen are powerless in the face of clandestine gold panning, which has taken up residence in this land where terrorism is advancing apace. The story of Madi and his village depends on the rehabilitation of this part of the Black Volta.

Cirta

Synopsis

CIRTA is a hybrid film project that combines a short fiction film and a full-length documentary whose conception and making echo and complement each other. Both segments share the same setting: the city of Kef. Although there are no more cinemas in this region today, for many years a magical place has illuminated the lives of the inhabitants of Le Kef: the CIRTA cinema.

CIRTA has been closed for many years and transformed into a café, yet its name remains shrouded in nostalgia, associated with many anecdotes that have forged the local mythology…

Among them, the astonishing journey of Bahri Rahali and Lamine Nahdi, two children from Kef who became renowned comedians in Tunisia.

En attendant la recolte

Synopsis

Timba, an 18-year-old Peulh boy, finds his life turned upside down when a terrorist group attacks his village and captures his father. Fleeing with his mother and sister, he finds refuge in a displacement camp in the city, but is separated from them because of his love for a volunteer. Looking for work, Timba meets a terrorist who indoctrinates him to join their ranks. Fate leads him to find his father, but he is faced with an agonising choice: kill his father or risk his own life.

Looking for the Mermaid

Synopsis

In the Island of Mozambique, fishermen marry mermaids and fisherwomen chant to the sea, asking for good winds and tides. In the past, the exchanged vows assured a harmonious coexistence between the natural world and the community. If mermaids, a metaphor for nature, are respected and pleased, they make sure the sea protects and sustains humankind. But today the sea is not producing as it used to. It has become the source of destruction and devastation, bringing in severe tropical cyclones, rising sea levels, and disputes around the recent discovery of oil and gas resources has caused anguish. Looking for the Mermaid tells the story of a dhow fisherman, Jorge Nakhodha, who is desperately looking for the mermaid, so he can make peace with her, save himself and find a resolution for his community.

Mbelaan

Synopsis

Ndari, a jinn prince in love with Nogaay, treacherously tries to marry her. Inhabiting the body of Nogaay, Ndari reveals donkey’s feet. The sages decide to sacrifice Nogaay to invoke abundance in the village. Left behind in the forest, Ndari initiates a walk in Mbelaan. Surprised by the royal guard, Ndari finds the opportunity to crystallize his father, King Managóor and declares Nogaay, the queen of Mbelaan. But Nogaay does not accept. Ndari becomes dreadful. He takes Yaal, Faatu’s grandson and Nogaay’s friend, hostage. Alerted by cries for help, Nogaay finds Yaal perched on the branches of the giant baobab above the flames. Ndari makes Nogaay see the soul of his parents Yaa Astu and Famara. He promises to breathe life back into them and free Yaal if she accepts the queen’s throne. Nogaay agrees to sell his divinity to resolve his dilemma.

Nadine et Nadia, nous voulons aussi gouverner

Synopsis

Nadine and Nadia OKOUMASSOUN, the 27-year-old twins and political activists, are very close but don’t share the same political opinion. Since May 2021, Nadine, owner of the Facebook page “Le peuple d’abord”, has been languishing in prison for her impetuous criticism of President Patrice TALON, whom Nadia, owner of the Facebook page “Le Bénin appartient à ceux qui l’aiment”, worships and adores, during the April 2021 presidential campaign.

Torn between fraternal love and political conviction, Nadia fights to get her sister out of this hell.

Samiya, la saison des amours

Synopsis

Bamby, an 18-year-old girl, returns to her village in the heart of the Sahel to get married.

But the village elders have decided to cancel the ceremony, as the rainy season has not been good, and insecurity is threatening the village. However, Bamby and the other brides-to-be are not giving up, and are organizing to save their weddings. But just a few days before the wedding, Mamadou, a young soldier and Bamby’s fiancé, and some of his brothers-in-arms return from the front seriously wounded. While waiting for the nuptials, Bamby and his sisters in misfortune begin another battle: caring for their men.

Sima

Synopsis

Sima destiny: her marriage, her life as a wife, as a mother, her tragedies. Raised in the small village of Nouna, she married Saye Zerbo, a young officer who became the president of Burkina Faso. She spent most of her life in the military barracks where she raised her 6 children. Her life is turned upside down by the arrival of a step wife, the loss of a son but also the coup d’état of her husband. Discreet, we remember her tenderness, but above all, her silence despite her tumultuous life. This is the portrait of an African woman in whom many women will recognize themselves.

Taddart

Synopsis

The film “Tixerain” immerses us in the story of a Kabyle village located in the heart of Algiers. While the film explores the contradictions between tradition and modernity, identity, and citizenship, it also highlights the absence of women in the public space. The women of the village are often stealthy, appearing behind windows, closing doors, and staying in the background during assemblies.

Nevertheless, the women of Tixerain are guardians of culture and traditions. Fouzi, Laarbi, and Wahab, all native to the village, share the same desire to build together. Fouzi has been working for years to improve the village while preserving its Kabyle identity. The film’s protagonists, all committed to preserving the village’s cultural identity, seek to bring greater visibility to the history and origins of this mythical and mystical village. However, we also seek to hear the voices of the women and their concerns within this community. In summary, “Tixerain” is a documentary that explores the contradictions of modernity in a traditional village while shedding light on the injustice of women’s absence in the public space. The film takes us on a journey through narrow streets and ancient houses filled with mystery.

Walinzi

Synopsis

May 16, 1997, the AFDL rebellion is at the feet of Kinshasa. Negotiations between Mobutu and the rebel leader Kabila under the mediation of Nelson Mandela fail. The Zairian army is no longer able to secure Marshal Mobutu, many high-ranking officers have been returned. Within the army, discontent is spreading. The Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense is shot dead by one of his bodyguards. In this decay, where no one knows who with whom is, a close security officer receives the delicate mission of sheltering Marshal Mobutu and his family.