Cinema
Yaaba
Idrissa Ouédraogo · 1989
Synopsis
In a Sahelian village, Bila, a boy of about ten, befriends Sana, an old woman whom the villagers keep at a distance, accusing her of witchcraft. He brings her food, calls her Yaaba, grandmother, and sometimes takes her along with his cousin Nopoko, despite the disapproval of the adults. When Nopoko falls gravely ill, the child turns to the old woman.
Context
The film was shot in the village of Tougouzagué, in Mooré, with non-professional actors; its author said he had taken the idea from a tale of his childhood and from those evenings when a grandmother educates the children before sleep. Co-produced by France and Switzerland, with music by Francis Bebey, it was presented at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes in May 1989 and was released in France on 23 August. Djibril Diop Mambety filmed its shooting.
Who it is for
A subtitled film in Mooré, slow in pace: little dialogue and many silent scenes.
Prizes and reception
International Critics' Prize at Cannes in 1989, grand prize at the Tokyo festival and audience prize at the Ouagadougou festival the same year.