The vibrant entrance to Fespaco, Africa’s largest film festival held annually in Ouagadougou, showcasing African cinema.
For the latest edition of Burkina Faso’s Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, otherwise known as FESPACO, women are in the spotlight. Whether as directors or film subjects, their voices are being celebrated, and it marks a significant advancement for African film. Of the 170 films — works from Egypt, Angola, Kenya, Morocco and Senegal, among others — that were submitted to FESPACO to compete for the coveted awards, about half were directed by women.