Mali: "The last refuge" of director Ousmane Samassekou shortlisted for the Oscars
An image from the documentary "The Last Refuge" by Ousmane Samassekou.
© Les Films du Balibari / Generation Africa / DS Productions
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The documentary
The Last Refuge
by Malian director Ousmane Samassekou has since its release in March 2021 won seven international awards including the grand prize for documentary film at the prestigious Copenhagen festival.
This success allows it to be the only African film to be eligible for selection for the 2022 Oscars in the feature documentary category.
In any case, he has just learned his pre-selection in this category.
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With our correspondent in Bamako,
Kaourou Magassa
Author of more than ten short films, making documentaries is a priesthood for Ousmane Samassekou. It took him more than two and a half years to complete
The Last Refuge
, his second feature film. A film sort of behind closed doors in the migrant house of Gao on the edge of the desert. A place where individuals ready to attempt to cross the Sahara and the Mediterranean and those forced to return who have failed meet.
“
In the conception of the film we understand that all those who leave, they do not leave only because of misery, famine, poverty.
But there are a lot of people who leave because they are fed up, they just want to move forward, they want to discover, they want another life and I think that is the fundamental freedom that a being human must have: the freedom to come and go.
"
A commitment coupled with a high cinematographic quality according to the critics which allows the film to be exported, to open the borders and, perhaps, to target America.
“
As we say in our jargon, the Oscars are the world cup for cinema.
It's something incredible for a young talent from the continent, because it inspires other young people and it shows them that it is possible.
And there we have the confirmation that we are part of the qualifications, and the team is working so that we can be in the selection.
"
Since its release,
The Last Refuge
has still not been seen in Mali.
Despite the few cinemas in the country, Ousmane Samassekou and his producers want national distribution and release.
In multi-purpose halls and high schools in order to fuel debates on immigration.
The official selection for the 2022 Oscars will be announced in February.
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