Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Charles O’gust Kutu | Burkina Faso | 2014 | 51min

Kutu is “the merrymaker, admirer of good beers and devilish celebrations.” However, his father’s untimely passing has made the comedian-turned-filmmaker think more about death – his own in particular. What kind of send-off can he ensure for himself? Will there be drinking and feasting? What about Can-Can dancers? In the religious milieu of Burkina Faso, death is no simple matter and so Kutu sets off on an investigation, from graveyards to funeral parlors, pitting imams against traditional leaders, even his wife is drawn into the battle for the raconteur’s soul. A cross between a Burkinabe Ali G and a biker David Attenborough, Kutu’s journey is rich in local idiom, a unique black comedy, African-style.