when Besançon becomes a showcase for African cinema

The 21st edition of the Lights of Africa festival kicked off on November 6 in Besançon. Since 1996, the Bisontins can discover the time of a week the cinematographic production linked to the continent. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to weigh on the event which could not be held in 2020 and which returns this year without competition. More than thirty unreleased films are on view until November 14, films labeled in 2020 and others released in 2021, such as The Gravedigger’s Wife, Gold standard from Yennenga to last Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco), Feathers or The Indomitable Fire of Spring who respectively left with the Golden Tanit and the Silver Tanit at the last edition of the Carthage Cinematographic Days (JCC). Interview with Gérard Marion, the founder and director of the festival.

franceinfo Africa: How did Besançon become a city where African cinema is promoted?

Gérard Marion: In any project, there is a personal approach. I had the good fortune to live in Cameroon for three years during my military service. When I returned to France, I saw a lot of associations and NGOs that were linked with the African continent. We thus created a collective called Négritude, because our friends from the West Indies wanted to be with us. Associations often built bridges and schools, but the cultural notion was not very present. It was also an era fueled by René Dumont’s book, Black Africa got off to a bad start (1962), while there were positive projects. It was important that we could open our minds to creation on the continent. We then said to ourselves why not a festival in the birthplace of the Lumière brothers around African cinemas. We therefore created this festival in 1996, both to campaign, to show what was happening there and to have an opening on the continent. There was another edition in 1999 and it has been annual since 2003.

Where do these African films that are screened at Lumières d’Afrique come from? How are they spotted?

It’s a big secret (laughs) ! First of all, there is the call for projects, as in all festivals. It is done from the month of March. Directors and producers send us their projects. Then we identify films in other festivals. We have several selection committees. Enter the category of feature films of fiction, a film produced less than two years ago, directed on the continent by a director of the continent. For the documentary, it must also be produced less than two years ago, relate to a subject that touches Africa and obviously be filmed there. For short fiction films, it is the same rule as long ones. We also have cross-sections where we find films made in France or elsewhere that talk about the African continent such as, a few years ago, Camille by Boris Lojkine.

Are the Bisontins there? ?

8,000 people participate in the festival. At the beginning, they were associative activists or people who had a link with Africa. But since then, Lights of Africa has become a place of culture, cinephilia, openness and exchanges. It is also a festive meeting where people enjoy meeting and talking about films. When there is competition, the predictions are good. This year there are none, but people are very curious. It was important that we meet in Besançon On the way to the billion by Dieudo Hamadi, labeled Cannes 2020 and Lights of Africa 2020. Just like Nafi’s Father (Baamun Nafi), also labeled Lights of Africa 2020, which I discovered at the Marrakech festival in 2019. The program also features films by Bisontine directors. These are the little nuggets that we have spotted this year. To know Little princes, which is experimental work done by unaccompanied minors. The second, A fon de Cirk, is the restitution of an exchange with a Bisontine association which went to Benin to train on the circus. The third, Called party memory, is that of Thibaut Garcia, a 23-year-old film student who produced a superb work on his grandfather who fought in the Algerian war.

Do African professionals respond when you ask them?

They always answer present ! Like Narcisse Wandji who signs Bendskins. It is important and normal that we find his first feature film in the selection of Besançon. The film takes place in Cameroon and focuses on motorcycle taxis. The way in which he approaches their life and their daily life, making notable cinephiles winks, is quite impressive.