Saturday, March 7, 2009

FESPACO

FESPACO is Africa's largest film festival, think Cannes for Africa and it happens in Ouagadougou every two years. This busy city gets even busier as tourists from all around the world come to FESPACO, the largest and most famous film festival in Africa. I came up to Ouaga for 3 nights and was able to see 3 films. One Burkinabe film about love and sex in Burkina Faso, hmmm is all i will say. It would have been cool to watch it if I was not living in Burkina, I might feel nostalgic watching it after I leave BF.

The next night I saw a double header two movies back to back. A British documentary on the development of the NGO Peace One Day. An incredible film and made me soo proud of my work here in Burkina Faso. I highly recommend that you check out the website (www.peaceoneday.org) and watch the film, it is in English. The final film I watched was an Egyptian/American film which was such a chick flick with tons of belly dancing called "What Lola Wants." These are the photos that I was able to take of Ouaga as it was in full splender for FESPACO.
Downtown Ouaga, they closed off this road to cars normally this road is crazy busy with motos, taxis, and cars.

Venders come out to sell their goods at the "fair grounds." Ohh and there is nothing at all housed in that big building, oh the efficientcy


A Row of vendor stalls



The French Cultural Center in Ouagadougou. It was like a slice of Europe and development . . .i.e. heaven




The Burkinabe film showing at the French Cultural Center outside theatre, it was great!!





I took this during the day I believe it might be where they have the awards ceremony or something.





Center Ville of Ouagadougou at Night




An outdoor theatre, really cool



Now I am trying to be artsy as I wait for the movie to start



The director is about to talk to the audience



The main FESPACO grounds




FESPACO grounds encore












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