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The Dogon country is also dreaming filmmakers at the Panafrican Film Festival in Ouagadougou. From the depths of Mali comes a first feature film by Boucary Ombotimbé and Aboubacar Bablé. The scenario of "Barkomo" (The Grotto) looks rather confusing, but in the room, the magic of cinema operates. The spectators do not hesitate to applaud when the infertile woman finally gets the deserved recognition or when the princess is about to flee from her golden cage with the southpaw of the village. Interview with co-director Bucary Ombotimbé.
RFI : The Cave , is it a love movie ?
Boucary Ombotimbé : We can say that love is involved, but several themes appear: the therapy, the sterile woman, how the Dogons found masks ... All these stories were included to make this film.
Does love play the biggest role ?
Yes, as they say, love is so beautiful only because it is involuntary. The fact that the princess agrees to flee with a man she loves ... it's really extraordinary. The world itself becomes love. The world obeys love. Everything is symbol, message, communication.
Was it difficult to shoot this film in the land of the Dogons ?
It was very difficult because there were two insecurities. Not only was there a problem between Peul and Dogon communities. There was also the problem of insecurity of the jihadists. We took all the risk to play these scenes in the Dogon country, which since 1990 has been classified as world heritage by UNESCO. We wanted to show this beautiful image. And we wanted to show this beautiful story.
Where did you shoot this movie ?
We shot in the depths of Mali, in a village called Mori.
How did it come to shoot this film about infertility, about left-handers, about superstitions in Mali ?
The film first tells the story of a village. I am Dogon myself, I was born there. Since 2012, I started writing the script that I finished in 2013. My co-director, I found it during the Francophonie Meetings in Abidjan. I showed him the script and he was blown away. He said to me then: one can do it even without funds, because I believe in the idea. It's born that way. It's a story that concerns me. I was born in this village that inspired me to write.
To turn a film today in Mali, what does it represent ?
First we looked for funds and we did not find. After, we shot this film with our own funds. I think we must first show the authorities that we know how to do these jobs. As soon as you show a beautiful work, the accompaniments will come.
How did you find the reaction of the public today to Fespaco ?
We are very moved. We were selected with our first feature film. We are very happy.
Who will see the film in Mali ?
It is the Malian community that will see the film. All Malians will see the film in theaters.