Idrissa Ouédraogo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Idrissa Ouédraogo
Idrissa Ouédraogo in 2007
Born	(1954-01-21)21 January 1954 Banfora, Upper Volta
Died	18 February 2018(2018-02-18) (aged 64) Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Nationality	Burkinabé
Alma mater	Institut des hautes études cinématographiques
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	1970s–2018
Notable work	Yam Daabo

Idrissa Ouédraogo (born January 21, 1954 – died February 18, 2018) was a famous filmmaker from Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa. He was known for making movies that explored big ideas. His films often showed the differences between life in the countryside and in cities. They also looked at how old traditions met new ways of life in Africa.

Idrissa Ouédraogo is especially famous for his movie Tilaï. This film won a major award called the Grand Prix at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Another one of his well-known films is Samba Traoré (1993). This movie was nominated for the Silver Bear award at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Early Life and Education

Idrissa Ouédraogo was born in a town called Banfora in 1954. At that time, his home country was known as Upper Volta. Today, it is called Burkina Faso. He grew up in the northern part of the country, in a town called Ouahigouya.

His parents were farmers, and they wanted him to have a good future. So, they sent him to Ouagadougou for more schooling. In 1976, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his studies at the African Institute for Cinema Studies. He finished there in 1981 with a master's degree.

After that, he studied in Kyiv, which was then part of the Soviet Union. Later, he moved to Paris, France. In 1985, he graduated from a famous film school called the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC). He earned a special diploma from the Sorbonne.

Starting His Film Career

After finishing his studies in 1981, Idrissa Ouédraogo started his own film company. First, it was called "The Future of Films," and later it became "Les Films de la Plaine." Before going to Kyiv, he worked for the Burkina Faso Directorate of Cinema Production. There, he directed several short films.

His very first short film was Pourquoi (1981). It was about a man who dreams of killing his wife. Another short film he made was Poko (1981). This film won an award at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). Poko told the story of a pregnant woman who died because she couldn't get to a hospital in time. The film showed how poor people often didn't get enough help from the government.

He made more short films after that. These included Les Écuelles (1983), Les Funérailles du Larle Naba (1984), Ouagadougou, Ouaga deux roues (1985), and Issa le tisserand (1985). His last short film was Tenga (1985). It was about a villager who moves to the city and then returns home. In these early films, Ouédraogo began to explore ideas and filmmaking styles that he would use in his longer movies.

Making Feature Films

Idrissa Ouédraogo's first full-length movie was Yam Daabo (1986), which means "The Choice." People liked it a lot. It was about a family in the countryside who had to decide whether to keep relying on help from others or to move and become self-sufficient.

His next film, Yaaba (meaning "Grandmother"), became very popular around the world. It won awards at film festivals, including the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes. People loved its simple beauty. However, some critics felt it didn't look deeply enough into the serious problems of village life.

His film Tilaï (meaning "A Question of Honour") won the top prize at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. This movie showed a time of big change in the Mòoré culture. It explored how strict traditions could break apart a family in a fast-changing modern world.

After the success of Yam Daabo and Tilaï, there was pressure on Ouédraogo to make another hit. His next film, Karim and Sala, was rushed for the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). It didn't do as well and wasn't widely distributed.

However, Samba Traoré (1993) was a success. It went back to the themes Ouédraogo loved: country life versus city life, and old traditions against new changes. It was even nominated for the Silver Bear award. After Samba Traoré, he made The Heart's Cry (1994), Kini and Adams (1997), Anger of the Gods (2003), and Kato Kato (2006).

Some people thought Ouédraogo's films tried too hard to please audiences in both Africa and the West. They felt he sometimes showed too many typical scenes of African rural life, like women pounding grain. But others argued that filmmakers like Ouédraogo had to think about how to get money for their next films. They believed he was a very talented person making movies in challenging situations.

Later Life and Legacy

In February 2015, Idrissa Ouédraogo shared his wish to direct a very important film. This film would be about foreign countries taking over parts of Africa, the fight against this, and the leaders of that movement.

In an interview in March 2015, Ouédraogo talked about three main problems for the film industry in Burkina Faso. He said there wasn't enough knowledge and skill in filmmaking. He also mentioned a lack of money and not enough local people buying movie tickets. In his last years, his family noticed he was disappointed with modern African cinema. He felt it lacked talent and ways to make films.

Idrissa Ouédraogo passed away on February 18, 2018, at the age of 64. He died in a clinic in Ouagadougou after an illness. After his death, the president of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, said that the country had "lost a filmmaker of immense talent."

On February 20, he was buried at the Gounghin Cemetery. His funeral procession stopped at the Monument of African Filmmakers. The mayor of Ouagadougou honored him there. The procession also paused in front of the FESPACO film festival gate. Many important people, including politicians, religious leaders, and artists, attended his military funeral.

Filmography

Short Films

Feature Films

Television Series

• Entre l'arbre et l'ecorce (1999)
• Kadi Jolie (2001)

Segments in Other Films

• Lumière and Company (1995)
• 11'09"01 September 11 (2002)

See also

In Spanish: Idrissa Ouédraogo para niños

• Cinema of Burkina Faso