Burkinabè Rising

Here we are, full of pure energy, more human and more sensitive towards certain topics: all these positive feelings are the result of the fourth edition of the RomAfrica film festival held in Rome from 18 to 22 July.

Thanks to the screenings of the films both in the rooms of Casa del Cinema in Villa Borghese and evening screenings under the starry sky we had the opportunity to get closer to the African culture, to discover the difficulties and challenges present in the continent and the strength to find that pure energy that pushes
them to go on and struggle to make the continent a better place to live. All the films have succeeded in achieving their goal: to transmit the energy of the African continent: the energy of women who go on in difficult contexts, the energy of those who live and face hardships to modify the present with the sole force of art and sharing, the energy of young people who try to bring significant changes to their countries.

On Sunday the 22nd at 5.30 p.m. the documentary film “Burkinabè Rising” by Iara Lee was screened, who was present at the screening in order to exchange opinions with the large audience.

The documentary begins with positive music, bright colors, lights and contrasts, vividly recounting the stories of the artists and activists interviewed in a very dynamic way. The images accompanied by music and Burkinabè rhythms make the audience feel the lively artistic and political atmosphere of the place,
literally taking you there and making you feel an integral part of that people.

The film director manages to transmit the energy, the willpower, the creativity and the dedication of a whole nation that despite the challenges and hardships managed to find the strength through which they are trying to create a better country where they can continue living and creating.

The film in an hour managed to tell us about social and civil resistance, about the possibility of realizing a real political change the message of which was conveyed through art, music and dance. All this has become possible due to the interaction with locals, gathering their points of view and creating a bond capable of transmitting the experiences that managed to reach the audience and keep them glued to the screen till the end of the screening and afterwards sharing their feelings and their emotions, telling how the film managed to make them reach humanity, by the vitality and energy produced by the artists.

As at the post-screening discussion the filmmaker mentioned, there are a lot of films that present only the negative and sad episodes of the continent and the audience automatically perceives it to be a very poor land full of problems. Her mission was to present the same continent otherwise: its positive and strong
side.

Moreover, the filmmaker highlighted the importance of being socially active both as individuals and associations. Getting informed is not enough: one should be active, try to involve others and strive for better changes.

The screening was a success and hopefully the energized audience left the room feeling more human as, unfortunately, in this modernized world we lack that pure humanity that is still present in Africa.