Oumarou Ganda facts for kids

Oumarou Ganda (born 1935, died 1981) was a famous film director and actor from Niger. He helped make movies from Africa known around the world in the 1960s and 1970s.

Early Life and Discovering Film

Oumarou Ganda was born in 1935 in Niamey, the capital city of Niger. He belonged to the Djerma ethnic group. He finished his first years of school in Niamey.

When he was 16, Oumarou joined the French army. He served as a soldier from 1951 to 1955. He spent two years in Asia during a war called the First Indochina War.

After the war, he came back to Niger but could not find a job. So, he moved to Côte d'Ivoire. There, he worked at the port of Abidjan, loading and unloading ships.

Meeting Jean Rouch

In Abidjan, Oumarou Ganda met Jean Rouch. Rouch was a French expert who studied people and cultures. He was also a filmmaker. Jean Rouch was interested in the people from Niger living in Côte d'Ivoire. He hired Oumarou Ganda to help him with his research.

Jean Rouch was the one who first showed Oumarou Ganda the world of movies. Oumarou had a small part in Rouch's 1957 film Zazouman de Treichville. Then, he played the main role in the 1958 film Moi, un Noir (which means I, a Negro).

Becoming a Filmmaker

A few years later, Oumarou Ganda returned to Niamey. He became involved with the Franco-Nigerien Cultural Center. This center had a club for culture and cinema.

At the club, Oumarou met people who taught him about filmmaking. He learned how to direct, use a camera, and record sound. He became an assistant technician. The club made several films.

In 1968, the club held a contest for movie scripts. Oumarou Ganda wrote the script for his first film, Cabascabo. This film was based on his own experiences as a soldier in Asia.

Films with a Message

Oumarou Ganda continued making films throughout the 1970s. Many of his movies became famous around the world. His films often talked about social issues in Niger. At that time, Niger was a country with only one political party.

His most famous film was Le Wazzou Polygame (1970). This movie won the very first Best Film Award at the FESPACO Film Festival. Besides his story films, Oumarou Ganda also made several documentaries. He was working on a new documentary when he died. He passed away from a heart attack on January 1, 1981.

Honoring Oumarou Ganda

After his death, Oumarou Ganda received many honors. A large cultural center in Niamey was named after him in 1981. It is called Le Centre Culturel Oumarou GANDA (C.C.O.G). This center includes places for performances and a library.

Oumarou Ganda won the top award at the first FESPACO film festival. Because of this, FESPACO created a special award in his name. It is called the Oumarou Ganda Prize. This prize is given to the best African feature film.

Oumarou Ganda's Films

• Cabascabo (1968): This film is 45 minutes long and is in black and white. It was filmed entirely in the Zarma language. It is an autobiographical film, meaning it tells a story from Oumarou Ganda's own life. It shows his time as a soldier in the French army in Indochina. The film shows a young soldier watching his friends die for a cause that means nothing to them. Cabascabo was first shown in Paris in 1968. It was also shown at the Cannes Film Festival. It won an award at the 6th Moscow International Film Festival. It also won an award from critics at Málaga and an honorable mention at the Carthage Film Festival.

• Le Wazzou Polygame (1970): This film is 50 minutes long and is in color. It is also in the Zarma language. Ganda's second film talks about polygamy (when someone is married to more than one person at the same time) and forced marriage. The film criticizes parts of Nigerien society and those who have power in Africa. Among other awards, it won the main prize at the first FESPACO festival in 1972.

• Saïtane (1972): This film is 64 minutes long and is in color. It is in the Zarma language.

• L'Exilé (1980): This film is 90 minutes long and is in color. It was inspired by an old African folk tale. Using folk tales for movie ideas was one of Oumarou Ganda's important contributions to African cinema.

See also

In Spanish: Oumarou Ganda para niños