The Fespaco 2021, the voice of African cinema, has been postponed indefinitely
The headquarters of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival (Fespaco) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Siegfried Forster / RFI
Text by: Siegfried Forster Follow
4 min
After weeks of reflection and rumors, the Burkinabè authorities announced this Friday, January 29, to postpone indefinitely the main meeting of African cinema due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Normally, the 2021 edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco) was to be held from February 27 to March 6.
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During a press briefing in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, the Council of Ministers announced its decision to "
postpone the holding of Fespaco to a later date
," AFP reported.
Since the start of the pandemic, Burkina Faso has confirmed 10,423 cases of Covid-19 and 120 deaths.
Within the area of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), it is the seventh country to be most affected by the coronavirus, but today fears a second wave larger than the first.
Cinema and the question of public health
"
In view of the health situation, both nationally and internationally, linked to the coronavirus pandemic, it will be difficult to keep Fespaco on the right date,
" said Ousseni Tamboura, government spokesman and minister of Communication.
At the same time, he admitted that "
it will not be easy for us to decide on a [next date) because it is linked to the evolution of the health situation
”.
The Fespaco, the main cinema event in Africa since 1969, is held every two years in Ouagadougou.
This is an extraordinary cinematographic event that represents the pride of an entire country.
Normally, it provides for 450 screenings and brings together 5,000 cinema and media professionals, as well as 100,000 spectators.
The "African Palme d'Or"
During the last edition in 2019, the festival presented more than 160 films from all over the continent, but also from the diaspora to seek the supreme award.
The Stallion of Yennenga, Fespaco's legendary trophy, inspired by the warrior princess of the founding myth of the Mossi empire, has become the “African Golden Palm” and one of the symbols of African cultural identity.
This postponement is announced two days after that of the Cannes Film Festival, the most important film festival in the world, which is traditionally held in May, but postponed to July, where the Avignon Festival is traditionally held.
At the same time, the Clermont-Ferrand Festival, the largest short film festival in the world, today opened its 2021 edition online and called for solidarity with other festivals: "
We must at all costs try to stay on the scheduled dates.
If we have to go online, why not, but we must not push back and encroach on another festival
”.
The question of security in Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso, Fespaco remains one of the rare events contributing to the global influence of the country which, since 2015, finds itself in an increasingly delicate situation with regard to the threat of jihadism in the region.
The French diplomacy website alerts travelers to a "
very high terrorist threat
" in Burkina Faso and a "
very high risk of kidnapping
".
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