25 Films from the FESPACO Film Festival

In 1950s South Africa, an ambitious journalist becomes involved in the fight against Apartheid.

After a long time away, Saga returns to his village only to find his father has claimed Nogma, Saga’s intended wife. Despite the taboo, Saga and Nogma rekindle their love and begin a secret relationship.

Ngando and Ndomé have a deeply loving relationship. However, tradition requires a dowry for Ndomé that Ngando, an orphan, cannot pay. Desperate, Ngando turns to his uncle for help, placing himself at the uncle's mercy and exposing him to the…

Anberber, an Ethiopian intellectual, returns to his homeland under the oppressive rule of Haile Mariam Mengistu. He is deeply affected by the destruction of his people’s culture and values, and feels lost in the changes. After studying medicine in Germany…

The film chronicles the ascent and decline of Guimba, a ruthless and tyrannical village chief, and his son Jangine, set against the backdrop of a fictional village in the Sahel region of Mali.

Ali, Kwita, Omar, and Boubker are street children in Casablanca, using glue to escape their harsh reality. Having left a dangerous gang led by Dib, they now live in fear of his revenge on the city's portside. Ali dreams of…

Quincy Bosomfield, shaped by his colonial upbringing, achieves the position of district commissioner. However, this ascent comes at a cost: he increasingly distances himself from his African roots and the values that once defined him.

"The Mercy of the Jungle" is a road movie depicting the Congo wars through the experiences of two soldiers stranded in the jungle. The film focuses on their fight for survival, vulnerability, and enduring hope.

Guled and Nasra are a devoted couple raising their teenage son, Mahad, in the suburbs of Djibouti City. They're struggling financially, especially since Nasra desperately needs costly surgery for a chronic kidney condition. Guled works tirelessly as a gravedigger to…

Kramoko Kouyate, the son of a storyteller, is forbidden from marrying Fanta because she belongs to nobility. The film's opening scenes recount the history behind this restriction, depicting their efforts to overcome it.

A deaf and mute girl, the daughter of an American oil engineer, meets a boy whose father is an Algerian farmer. Despite their different backgrounds, they find a way to communicate, overcoming cultural differences.

As a child, Ezra is abducted by a rebel organization and later compelled to recount the harrowing reality of being forced into military service.

In 1899, a French military column led by Captains Voulet and Chanoine is dispatched from the French Sudan into what is now Cameroon. The column, comprised of French soldiers and African mercenaries, systematically destroys and kills anyone in their path.…

After completing the pilgrimage to Mecca, El Hadji returns home with the respected title of "Haji." He falls in love with Santou, his daughter's friend, who is already promised to Garba. El Hadji is already married with two wives, and…

Facing his own mortality, Satché resolves to make his final day a celebration of life.

In an early 19th-century African village, Wend Kuuni lives with his adopted family after his mother is accused of witchcraft and killed. When his adopted sister, Pughneere, falls ill, the villagers suspect Wend Kuuni. To save Pughneere's life, and his…

A young factory manager meets a mysterious man who says his family has a history of serving the company. Feeling sympathy and a sense of responsibility, the manager hires him and uncovers the harsh conditions the workers endure. Balancing his…

A Congolese king travels to Brussels to find his daughter, whom he has not seen for many years.

In Morocco, an aging dyer and his young son Miloud transport wool packs. This is the beginning of a story shared by countless elderly men, women, and children who meticulously weave carpets.

In a Malian secondary school, Bah, whose family traces back to a powerful tribal chieftain, and Batrou, son of a military governor representing the country's new authority, forge an unexpected connection. These two teenagers, from vastly different worlds, become part…

In West Africa, a pig farmer experiences a religious vision declaring him to be Magloire the First, a prophet of Christ. He then journeys to convert his village, aiming to replace their traditional beliefs with faith in Jesus.

Félicité, a resilient and independent woman, works as a singer in Kinshasa's bars. Her world shifts when her 14-year-old son is in an accident. Amidst the vibrant music and atmosphere of Kinshasa, she becomes lost in a haze of dreams...…

Benjamin struggles with a constant sense of conflict: with life, with authority figures, and with himself. Throughout his childhood, the 13-year-old has moved repeatedly between different foster homes. When his mother is incarcerated, he's sent to live with his estranged…

Psychiatrist Zineb is assigned to Rihana, a young pregnant woman deeply scarred by a childhood under the strict control of her father, who treated her as a son. As Zineb works with Rihana, the patient’s experiences trigger buried memories within…

Before moving to the West, Abdallah visits his mother in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, where he grew up. He finds himself a stranger in his old neighborhood, struggling with the local language and feeling isolated in his Western clothes. Spending time with…