Film Africa Season [Dakan]

Set in Guinea, Dakan is cited as being the first West African feature film which focuses on homosexuality.
It was a very interesting film.
Funny too, in places.
The father is an eminent businessman and is devastated that his son has fallen in love with another man. One mother approaches a witch doctor in the hope they will 'heal' her son. She carry's out their instruction, but ends up paying a heavy price.. and regardless..her son remains in love with this man.
Both boys were so cute.. especially Sori... but I digress.
It was my last film of the season.. and on the night we were treated to two other short films.. the Director of one such film was our host for the night.

They also treated us to dinner; some very tasty Jollof rice..
I opted for the vegetarian meal, and a guy sitting next to me said.. 'you're not Nigerian are you..?'..
'Why?'. I asked 'because I'm not eating meat??..
Turns out it was other reasons why he said that...
He hazarded a guess that I was either North African or from the Islands
Anyway.. the food arrived 'Lagos time'( Directors words not mine) but late or not, we were so happy when it did arrive. We watched the movie and ate like we were at home.
Big props to the South London Gallery for hosting the film.
It was a good night.. and again.. plenty of food for thought.

Film Africa 2014..? I loved it!.
The closing film on Sunday is Timbuktu.. Tickets...sold out



Official Synopsis

Dakan

Dir. Mohamed Camara
Guinea. 1997. 87min. Colour. French with English subtitles.

Manga and Sory are deeply in love, but their love is an unspoken taboo in their society. The two young men battle family and societal prejudice as they struggle to hang on to one another. But will their love survive? Widely considered the first gay film from West Africa, Mohamed Camara shot Dakan on location in Guinea. The film was met with protests once its subject matter became known. With Dakan, Camara does not raise an activist flag for gay rights. Instead the director asks us to look at the lives of two people in love and the challenges they face in a society where that love is forbidden. Authentic and heart-breaking, Dakan (meaning destiny) is a compassionate portrayal of the gay experience in Guinea in the 1990s. Dakan premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in I997.

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