AFRICINE .org
Le leader mondial (cinémas africains & diaspora)
Actuellement recensés
24 364 films, 2 562 textes
Ajoutez vos infos
Fela comes alive at FESPACO
My Friend Fela, by Joel Zito Araújo
critique
rédigé par Chinyere Okoroafor
publié le 28/02/2019
Chinyere Elizabeth Okoroafor is a writer at Africiné Magazine
Chinyere Elizabeth Okoroafor is a writer at Africiné Magazine
Joel Zito Araújo, Brazilian Filmmaker
Joel Zito Araújo, Brazilian Filmmaker
Fela Kuti, Singer and Activist
Fela Kuti, Singer and Activist
Fela's close friend and official biographer, Carlos Moore, African-Cuban intellectual
Fela's close friend and official biographer, Carlos Moore, African-Cuban intellectual


No fewer than 600 film lovers at the 50th year of Fespaco sat nestled at the cosy Cine Neerwaya to watch a 92 minute documentary titled Mon Ami Fela (2018) (translated My Friend Fela).
The original film title which is Meu Amigo Fela was written and directed by veteran Brazilian filmmaker, Joel Zito Araujo (Raça, Daughters of the Wind). Having produced 29 award winning documentaries, Araujo whose films focuses on social issues of his country was contacted by Carlos Moore, the African Cuban intellectual who could speak more than three international languages to make the film.






Speaking to Africiné Magazine after the screening of the film, Araujo said that Moore who saw most of his films after moving to Brazil was impressed. According to him, Moore said, "I think you are the right guy to do the film about my friend Fela, I love all of your other films." Araujo who by then had accepted to do the film said that at the moment, Moore gave him a book tilted Fela : This Bitch of a Life he had officially written about Fela's life.

"I was interested to do the film and at that moment I started to look for
funds in Brazil to do the film. It was difficult because in Brazil they didn't know Fela but only the new generation (of artistes)," he said.
"So, the supporters, the producers said to me, ‘this guy is important but Brazilians don't know about him,' and it was frustrating,"he said. After spending more than six years seeking for funds from the Brazilian government, Araujo finally received the first money to do the film, but then another film about Fela from Alex Gibney's 2014 work titled Finding Fela, had already been released.

Rather than been discouraged, Araujo said he took it without any trouble. "I said there is no problem, I will go ahead and do the film about Fela, the Fela that is important to us Brazilian people through our own eyes," he added.
To Araujo, writing and directing the documentary about the life of Fela was to use the channel to raise the Pan African consciousness into the lives of Afro-Brazilian new generation.
The film, which was told through Moore's narrations and interviews, was first debuted in International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) Netherlands, as part of a larger focus on Afro-Brazilian cinema. Mon Ami Fela, according to Araujo, is being considered for a Lagos, Nigeria premiere later in the year.

The feature documentary resonates and revolves around the complexity of Fela's life, a Nigerian Afro-beat icon, as it takes viewers through the glories and tragedies that shaped the lives of the pan-African generation in general, as well as Fela's in particular.

Chinyere Elizabeth Okoroafor (Nigeria)

Africiné Magazine issue no.2 - Wednesday 27 February 2019, page 4 - FESPACO 2019 /// 26th edition

This magazine is published by the African Federation of Film Critic (AFCC / FACC). The publication was made possible thanks to the support of La Francophonie, Africalia Belgium, the Goethe-Institut and Ascric-B. It is produced by a collective of 42 African journalists from 23 countries.

Director of Publication : Khalil Demmoun

Editorial committee
Sid-Lamine Salouka
Abraham Bayili
Ahmed Shawky
Robert Mukondiwa
Fatou Kiné Sene
Pélagie N'Gonana
Charles Ayetan
Yacouba Sangaré
Espéra Donouvossi

Layout: Korotimi Sérémé
Impression : IGIP / +226 70 15 15 80
E-mail : faccbureau@gmail.com

Films liés
Artistes liés
événements liés