DIRECTOR: Michel K. Zongo | Burkina Faso / France / Germany / Qatar | 2015 | 89min
African cloth, woven by Africans, worn by Africans. This was one of Thomas Sankara’s dreams fulfilled upon the opening of Faso Fani, the factory that would make Koudougou the textile capital of Burkina Faso. Just over a decade later, Faso Fani stood abandoned, yet another casualty of the World Bank and IMF’s programme of shock therapy. Director Zongo, grew up enthralled by this ‘jewel of a factory’, which endowed its employees with refrigerators, mopeds and hard-earned national pride. Armed with a videocamera, he retraces Faso Fani’s legend, rising beyond his role as documentarian to challenge Faso Fani’s old workforce to rejoin and use their expertise once more, to bring them profitability and independence.
Festival Appearances
Berlinale, Dok Fest München
Screenings at Encounters 2015
CT: Wed 10 6.30pm CN V&A
Jozi: Sun 7 5.30pm Bio