Briefly: Today I forced myself to go to the University art museum to see Isaac Julien's video installation, Fantôme Afrique, just days before its scheduled closing. I'm so glad I went.
Really nothing astounding, just pure, beautiful yet somewhat mundane cinematography set in Burkina Faso. It was more than just that, of course, but this isn't a critique.
I still dream of a vacation that involves nothing more than taking a room at the spartan Hôtel Soba in Bobo-Dioulasso for a month. As ridiculous and pretentious as it may sound, I dream of that so much that I can taste it.
* * *
A good opportunity also to bring attention to the recent passing of Aimé Césaire, le père de la 'négritude'. Reading his obituary in late April made me think of the wonderful Martiniquan film, La Rue Cases-Nègres (although it was based on a book by author Joseph Zobel, not by Césaire), and also the Malian film La Vie sur Terre, in which the narrator quotes abuntantly from Césaire.
I highly recommend both films.
[See also some nice images from Fantôme Afrique at this blog site.]
1 comment:
I will have to check that out. You are one of four people I know in the U.S. (two of the others being Canadians working here) who have also been to Bobo-Dioulasso. My memories of it are tinged with malaria and other physical complaints, but the passage of time does make me more fond of it and wanting to return. However, I think I'll stick with seeing it on the big screen and save my airfare for Baku instead.
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