Cinema
Silmandé
S. Pierre Yaméogo · 1998
Synopsis
The Jabert brothers, Lebanese traders who have been settled in Burkina for two generations, meet at the bar reserved for the good society of Ouagadougou. Amoudé, the younger, has a child by Fati, a Burkinabè woman whom he still loves despite their separation; Yacine, the elder, has been the family's influential man since their father's death, while their mother dreams of ending her days in Lebanon. When Amoudé is thrown into prison after a traffic accident, Yacine uses all his influence, but the fight against corruption complicates his task.
Context
The title, which means whirlwind in Mooré, is also the name of the largest hotel in Ouagadougou. The film was produced by the director's own company with Burkinabè and French partners, with music by Wasis Diop, after the reluctance of the usual funders of African cinema. Released in Ouagadougou, Cotonou and Dakar, it was boycotted by the Lebanese exhibitors of Ivory Coast, and the Lebanese community, considering itself defamed, filed two complaints to have it banned.
Who it is for
Eighty-five minutes. It helps to know what the discourse on good governance addressed to African states in the early nineties was: the film makes it its comic material.
Prizes and reception
Best box-office score of Burkinabè cinema at the time of its release; Procirep prize at Namur, prize of the cooperation agency at Carthage, music prize at Fespaco 1999.