Mamadou Djim Kola

Mamadou Djim Kola
Born (1940-01-27)27 January 1940
Ouagadougou,[1], Africa
Died 11 December 2004(2004-12-11) (aged 64)
Ouagadougou,[1], Africa
Occupation Director, producer

Mamadou Djim Kola (27th January 1940 – 11th December 2004) was an Burkinabe filmmaker who has directed feature films and short films.

Early life

Mamadou Djim Kola was born on January 27, 1940 in Dapyoa, Ouagadougou. His father was a fan of cinema and owned a projector which he regularly showed films to the local neighbourhood on.[1]

He attended elementary school at the Ouagadougou Center School (1947 to 1955) before graduating as a teacher from the 'Cours Antoine Roche de Ouahigouya' school (1955-1959).[2]

Career

After graduating as a teacher Mamadou still felt the pull of cinema and enrolled in a correspondence course with the Independent Center of French Cinema (CICF) in 1961. This was in spite of social pressure from his peers who felt that teachers were more important to Burkina Faso than film directors.

Le Sang Des Parias, released in 1972, was the first feature film produced in Burkina Faso. After the nationalisation of cinemas in 1969 government money was available and the film was state funded.[3]

It was screened at the recently created FESPACO festival the following year, the festival being primarily responsible for creating a cinema community in sub-Saharan Africa and the site which many African cinematic influences emerged from. It won the Jury Prize and Burkinabe cinema was born. [4]

From 1976 to 1979 he worked as technical director of the Inter-African Film Production Center (CIPROFILM). From 1980 to 1989 he joined the CIDC-CIPROFILM.

From 1990 until his retirement in 1993, he worked at the Ministry of Information and Culture.

Djim Kola was well regarded in Burkina Faso and was affectionately known as the 'Dean' by his associates. His funeral was well attended by dignitaries including the head of culture at the time, Mahamoudou Ouedraogo.[2]

In the year 2000, he was decorated Knight of the Order of Merit of Arts and Letters. This was in light of his cinematic achievements and his fight against caste discrimination and xenophobia which are evident in his films.

Filmography

Year Title Credited as Notes
Director Writer Producer
1972 Le conflit (The Dispute) Yes No No Short Film
1973 Le sang des parias (Blood of the Pariahs) Yes No No Feature Film
1976 Cissin... cinq ans plus tard (Cissin... five years later) Yes No No Short Film
1992 Kognini y Toungan/les etrangers (The Foreigners) Yes No No Short Film

Accolades

Year Award Category Title Result
1973 FESPACO Film Festival Jury Prize Le Sang Des Parias Won

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 3 "Africiné". www.africine.org.
    2. 1 2 "Cinéma : Mamadou Djim Kola a tiré sa révérence". lefaso.net.
    3. ↑ Blandine Stefanson; Sheila Petty (2014). Directory of World Cinema Africa: Directory of World Cinema Africa. Intellect Books. pp. 127–. ISBN 978-1-78320-391-8.
    4. ↑ Mahir Saul; Ralph A. Austen (12 October 2010). Viewing African Cinema in the Twenty-First Century: Art Films and the Nollywood Video Revolution. Ohio University Press. pp. 145–. ISBN 978-0-8214-1931-1.
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