By Yvonne Soppo Disso
Africa's premier film showcase event takes place in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso from March 1-3, 2007. The event opened with a lavish ceremony at which 40,000 people watched displays of horsemanship and traditional dancing. The Fespaco film festival has been running biennially since 1969 and has become a vital cultural event for Africa and its film industry, it was described by commentators as "the only cultural space for Africans".
African films currently struggle to find a market, both in Africa and in the rest of the world. More than 200 films shown at the festival, struggle for audience even at home. Cinemas have been closing in many African countries, including Cameroon. For many involved in the film industry, Fespaco has become a hugely important event. Film-makers from Nigeria are disgruntled by the fact that none of their films has ever won the award, this despite Nollywood, as the Nigerian movie industry is known, being the third largest film producer in the world, and the biggest in Africa.
According to "World Politics Watch" review of the festival, Cameroon entered the festival with Jean-Pierre Bekolo's "Les Saignantes". Cameroonian born Jean Pierre Békolo describes "Les Saignantes," which he translates as "The Bloodettes," as the journey of two young girls dealing with a dead body. Then "a big government official dies in one of the girl's bedrooms, and they have to do something about it," he said. "It's a very dark and corrupted and depressed environment." Békolo's movie takes place in a setting of Cameroon in the year 2025. Some Cameroonians think the film aptly describes the status-quo in the country. Mr Ambe Johnson opines that "Békolo's movie takes place in a Cameroon where not much has changed; today, as it is high on Transparency International's list of corrupt countries."
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