FESPACO and Its Many Afterlives

Abstract

FESPACO and Its Many Afterlives Sheila Petty (bio) When thinking of practices for cultural decolonization—current and future challenges to FESPACO and its mission to address and exhibit the cinematographic representation of African peoples on the continent and diaspora—I am reminded of something that Chinua Achebe once wrote: "Art must interpret all human experience, for anything against which the door is barred can cause trouble."1 From this perspective, the power of African filmmakers' contributions to the treasure trove of world cinema lies in the depth and breadth of creativity and innovation since the beginning of film production by Africans on the continent. This work has the capacity to alter the course of history as fundamentally as any advance in science, engineering, or industry. Indeed, in 1989, Filippe Sawadogo, then Secretary General of FESPACO, proclaimed that "the cinema of the world needs an African cinema which can bring new life thanks to its cultural richness. … It stands when other works lose their breath from lack of originality."2 What Sawadogo is referring to is the sustainability of a festival that has endured for more than fifty years through major upheavals on the continent, including local and global political and economic influences and the pop-ups of more recent (albeit smaller in scope) African film festivals on the continent and in the diaspora, especially specialty festivals such as Festival Issni N'Ourgh International du Film Amazighe in Agadir, etc. Much has been written about the systemic difficulties and recurring organizational problems that beleaguer the festival: transportation, lodging, sponsorship, subtitling and language versioning, accreditation, and badges. For example, during the 1991 edition, I sat at a manual typewriter in the FESPACO office and typed out name badges for many of us at the opening of the festival, although we had all sent in our accreditation forms and photos well in advance. Despite all these issues, FESPACO's gift to the world of cinema and visual culture is that it has always provided the richest form of "afterlife" possible. The network of filmmaker-film-spectator is paramount to building communities and social networks off-screen in local communities and throughout the diaspora. According to Haida artist and master carver Bill Reid, an [End Page 276] artwork/film's "real life" is the process through which it becomes a work, but its "afterlife"3 is constructed during readings of and engagement with the work through shared participation in local and diasporic cultural manifestations. FESPACO's Traveling Digital Cinema, which provides free open-air screenings to neighborhoods in Ouagadougou and to nine other cities and towns in Burkina Faso, is an afterlife case in point—where the wealth of the festival is shared by the people, with the people, as local film critics lead debates with the audiences following the screenings. Another FESPACO afterlife gift is the International Market for Cinema and Audiovisuals (MICA). Established in 1983 to answer a call to action during the 1982 Niamey Congress, MICA opened its doors to FESPACO festivalgoers in 1989 to encourage exchanges between producers, directors, distributors, and TV-buyers and the diffusion of the richness and plurality of African cultures around the globe.4 It seems, however, that thirty years later, MICA "does not yet organize English language screenings for international buyers, as is done in more established festivals."5 Olivier Barlet makes a salient point here. Indeed, what should the festival's official language be as Indigenous languages increasingly stake out more prominent space in cultural manifestations? And on a continental level, this seems almost overwhelming to surmount. Yet, perhaps it is FESPACO's "openness and accessibility" compared to other festivals, and the "generosity of the filmmakers" who take the time to meet industry professionals and scholars alike, that softens the edges of this frustrating situation.6 MICA, and the generosity of industry professionals exhibiting their films, videos, and television programs, made it possible for me as a scholar to research the circulation of ideas and aesthetics in global television in the 1990s. To be sure, feature films and their prize categories have dominated FESPACO since its inception. Yet, many lauded filmmakers who began their careers making feature-length films transitioned to television and have...