OUAGADOUGOU 2

22 February – 6 March 2011

FESPACO in OUAGADOUGOU (wag-a-do-goo)

Ok I’m here in Ouagadougou now for the long haul, after the insurance company agreed to the accommodation change until I am fit enough to continue travel – approx 10 days. So first up I’ve learnt to spell Ouagadougou correctly! Short walks showed I was only 10 minutes from 2 of FESPACO’s cinemas, but alas correct reliable information was very hard to ferret out. I was assured there would be many movies in english, but no idea which ones. Next day someone had the bright idea that if the title was in english, then the movie would be in english – this turned out to be particularly reliable in 90% of the films I saw. Now where are the venues – an african will direct you with his hands waving about because he knows exactly where it is – but alas a map is of no use to him, and essential to me.. And I remain none the wiser where a couple of the cinemas are. One day I was taken by moto to another nearby cinema called CBC, but alas when I turned up there for a movie a week later, turns out it was not the CBC cinema and not my movie showing! lol

On opening day I made it to FESPACO HQ, where I managed to find a girl with a couple of programs that she was very reluctant to part with – we both had hold of one, and eventually her gorgeous African politeness gave way to my western persistence and I was the envy of many people, being asked for days after where I had got my program! This program wasn’t quite as comprehensive as Melbourne’s film festival, but it certainly was a little challenging even without the movie precises. Eventually I had quite a few movies circled and thought about buying the season pass – 25,000 cfa ($50) but I held off and that was a good decision. First day’s anglais screenings at Institute Francais Petite did not have any tickets for sale, so that days screenings were free. Next day, early screenings were also free cause the ticket office wasn’t open! And full price at one of the bigger cinemas was only 1000 cfa - $2 and smaller cinemas were 500 cfa $1. Great value, but screenings were a bit of a lucky dip. One that had an english title and when we waited until it had started for the boy to check it and reassure me that it was in english – alas it was in arabic, with french subtitles. A few have been cancelled due to screening difficulties and one I saw had scenes out of order.. Ahh but I am enjoying the Nigerian and South African movies. Lol And I get to (have to!) walk the red carpet @ one cinema because the guards won’t let you in the ‘out’ gate. Burkina has gone all out with security being provided by the army and there is a general air of celebration in town. One tv channel is devoted to FESPACO all day, and there is entertainments (DJs playing loud music) at various places in the city. I’ve caught two music concerts @ the Institute Francais, including Maurice Kirya from Uganda and a fab art exhibition by Patrick Singh.

Salif Keita is scheduled to play on Saturday according to a huge advertisement in the centre of town. I turned up to buy a ticket, but the lad was very sorry, they didn’t know anything about it other than it had been advertised that they would have the tickets for sale. But go 2 days later and voila, tickets are now for sale. And at long last I’ve also bought a bus ticket to Ghana – supposedly to Tamale for my next World Vision Sponsor visit, but when the details arrive from Australia after a bit of nudging, turns out Bolgatanga will be my destination, 200km north. Very happy I double checked and now I cannot wait to be back on the move again.

FACT: Watching a short doco called Les Blancs (those whites) about an animal ambulance service in the Netherlands. The africans were in stitches oflaughter watching a bird get careful care and attention to mend it’s injury, an animal psychiatrist making a home visit to a naughty dog and the loudest laughs of all for the pet funerals. Oh those whites!!!