FACE | The Tournees Festival

DELWENDE: LEVE-TOI ET MARCHE
DELWENDE

Director:
S. Pierre Yameogo

Screenplay:
S. Pierre Yameogo

Cast:
Napoko: Blandine Yameogo
Diarrha: Célestin Zongo
Pougbila: Claire Ilboudo
Bancé: Daniel Kabore
Elie: Thomas Ngourma
Raogo: Jules Taonssa

Awards:
Regard Hope Award, Cannes Film Festival (2005)
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury-Special Mention, Cannes Film Festival (2005)

Running time: 69’
Production: Burkina Faso
France / Switzerland, 2005
Language: Moore, French
Rating: Not rated (general public)
Gauge: 35mm, DVD (color)

Distributor:
New Yorker Films

“Firmly feminist in outlook and culture-changing in its aspirations, ‘Delwende’ combines aspects of Greek tragedy with a critical eye toward the misuse of tradition… Like Sembene, Yameogo is enamored with strong women, and in his lead actresses he’s found a terrific conduit for expressing their nobility and force.” Jay Weissberg, Variety



This mother-daughter tale focuses on the injustice of some traditional African practices and women’s struggle for equality. A small village in Burkino Faso is devastated by the sudden death of many of its children. Fearing the worst, Diarrha sends his daughter Pougbila to get married in another village despite the objections of his wife Napoko. She learns that their daughter has been raped, possibly by her own husband and therefore she accepts the arranged marriage despite her own reservations. Following a village tradition, the elders conduct a witch-hunt to find the person responsible for all the deaths. The blame falls on Napoko and she is chased out of the village. Upon learning of her mother’s fate, Pougbila embarks on a journey to find her. Her travel leads her to the capital, Ouagadougou, where she finds her mother in a shelter for women accused of witchcraft. Intent on exposing the truth, she brings Napoko home and forces the elders to confront the truth: Diarrha took advantage of a local village tradition in order to direct the blame towards his wife. Based on a true story, Delwende examines some traditional customs in Africa and the role women play in exposing the injustices perpetrated against them.

PHOTO New Yorker Films

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