Yaaba is a 1989 Burkinabé drama film written, produced, and directed by Idrissa Ouedraogo, "one of the best known films from francophone sub-Saharan Africa".[1] It won the Sakura Gold prize at the 1989 Tokyo Film Festival.[2] The film was selected as the Burkinabé entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.[3]

Yaaba
Film poster
Directed byIdrissa Ouedraogo
Written byIdrissa Ouedraogo
Screenplay byIdrissa Ouédraogo
Produced byArcadia Films, Les Films de l'avenir, Télévision suisse romande, Thelma Film AG
StarringFatimata Sanga, Noufou Ouedraogo, Roukietou Barry, Adama Ouedraogo, Amadé Tour
CinematographyMatthias Kälin
Edited byLoredana Cristelli
Music byFrancis Bebey
Distributed byNew Yorker Films (U.S.)
Release date
  • September 14, 1989 (1989-09-14) (TIFF)
Running time
90 minutes
CountriesBurkina Faso
Switzerland
France
LanguageMòoré
Box office$55,000

The film was the subject of a short documentary Parlons Grand-mère, which was shot during the film's production by Djibril Diop Mambéty.

Plot

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Burkina Faso's smallest village. The main character of the tale is 10-year-old Bila, who makes friends with Sana, an elderly woman. Everyone refers to her as "Witch," but Bila calls her "Yaaba" (grandmother). Sana's medicine is what keeps Bila's cousin Nopoko from dying when she becomes ill.

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Teresa Hoefert de Turégano (2004). African Cinema and Europe: Close-up on Burkina Faso. European Press Academic Pub. pp. 175–180. ISBN 978-88-8398-031-2.
  2. ^ "Tokyo film festival gives big cash awards". chron.com. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
  3. ^ Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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