Ouagadougou (AFP)

Echoes of the 27th Ouagadougou International Film and Television Festival (Fespaco), the largest in Africa which opened on Saturday for a week.

- RESILIENCE

"The holding of this biennial of African cinema, in a double context of security and health challenges, testifies to the resilience and the selflessness of the Burkinabè people", estimated Sunday the President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

- COOPERATION

"There is in France a very large African diaspora, binationals, nationals or Africans. It was important for us to send this message of friendship and to continue to work on collaboration, on cooperation that is relevant to height of the stakes of Fespaco ", declared the French Minister for Equality, Elisabeth Moreno, present in Ouagadougou.

"The Fespaco is a festival recognized not only at the level of the whole African continent but beyond the continent, in Europe and at the world level" and it "seemed to me quite important, since our Minister of Culture could not be there, that I am here ".

- CONSECRATION

A life-size bronze statue of Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis, double winner of the Yennenga gold standard (2013 and 2017), the supreme award of Fespaco, was unveiled on the avenue de la Column of the Stallions, where already enthroned those of ten Fespaco Grand Prix laureates.

Burkinabè President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, in the center, inaugurates Fespaco, October 16, 2021 in Ouagadougou Issouf SANOGO AFP

"It is a feeling of pride for this double consecration. When I see on this avenue a statue of Sembène Ousmane, one of the pioneers of Fespaco, and a young talent like Alain Gomis, it means that we are on the right track, that African cinema is encouraged ", rejoiced Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Culture of Senegal, guest of honor of Fespaco.

- CELEBRITY GALA

Organized since 2017 on the sidelines of Fespaco, the celebrity gala rolls out the red carpet for filmmakers and actors from the world of sports, fashion and music.

Within the walls of Ouagadougou town hall, several celebrities received tribute trophies including Burkinabè Serge Henry, actor, and Iron Biby, "the strongest man in the world".

The Ivorian stylist Pathé'O and the Senegalese costume designer Oumou Sy were also celebrated during the evening which aims to "arouse great media interest for the influence of Fespaco and the city of Ouagadougou", according to its main initiator, Georgette Paré.

© 2021 AFP