HÀ NỘI — DocLab – the Hanoi Center for Documentary Films & the Moving Image will present two documentaries about Burkina Faso – a country in West Africa – during a screening tomorrow night, Friday, January 18.

The movies presented include Burkinabè Rising: The Art of Resistance in Burkina Faso directed by Iara Lee (from the Cultures of Resistance Films). A small landlocked country in West Africa, Burkina Faso is home to a vibrant community of artists, musicians and citizens who carry on the revolutionary spirit of Thomas Sankara, killed in a coup d’état led by his best friend and advisor Blaise Compaoré, who then ruled the country as an autocrat for 27 years, until a massive popular insurrection led to his removal. Today, the spirit of resistance and political change is mightier than ever and it permeates every aspect of the Burkinabe life. It is an inspiration, not only to Africa, but to the rest of the world.

The second one is Burkinabè Bounty, which chronicles agricultural resistance and the fight for food sovereignty in Burkina Faso. Showcasing activist farmers, students, artists, and leaders in the local Slow Food movement, the film looks at how the Burkinabè people are reclaiming their land and defending their traditions against the encroachment of corporate agriculture. From women gaining economic independence by selling "dolo" beer – beer brewed from sorghum, a cereal crop that grows well in the dry, nutrient-poor soil, to youth marching in the streets against companies like Monsanto, to hip-hop musicians reviving the revolutionary spirit of Thomas Sankara, Burkinabè Bounty shows the creative tactics people are using to take back control of their food, seeds, and future.

The screening will start at 6.30pm. DocLab is at No 11, Lane 378/12 Thuỵ Khuê Street, Tây Hồ District. — VNS