40th edition 2025 feature films
Many people died in the village of Ziglo, in western Côte d’Ivoire, during the 2011 civil war. Having waited too long for state justice, Josiane - known as Maman Jo - a native woman who had lost several members of her family, decides to take the village’s destiny into her own hands by creating a safe space for women.
Joël Akafou holds a Master’s degree in directing from the Institut National de l’Image et du Son in Ouagadougou. Among the films he directed there, Nourah was screened at many festivals. His first professional film, Vivre Riche, was screened at Visions du Réel. His debut documentary feature, After the Crossing, was selected for the 70th edition of the Berlinale and won the Grand Prize at Entrevues in 2020.
A word from the selection committee:
Winner of the Grand Prix at Entrevue in 2020, Joël Akafou’s second feature film offers the perspective of restorative justice. In the village of Zéaglo, the population is divided between those who bear the guilt of having collaborated with the forces of President Ouattara - responsible for the 2011 massacre - and those mourning the losses it caused. Amid these ruins, Josiane works to rebuild the community by giving voice to the women who survived these crimes and literally creating a home dedicated to them. The filmmaker’s gesture is to follow this movement, from a burned-down house to its rebirth as a space of hospitality, laden with symbolism. The testimonies collected by Josiane are shaped by this dual perspective: to break the silence that condemned a population, and to create the conditions for living together as a community.Pierre Guidez
- Photographie
- Joël Akafou
- Son
- Marius Bolou
- Montage
- Rodolphe Molla
- Production
- Les Films du Continent - Ladybirds Films - Pilumpuku
Contact :
Jules David, LadyBirds Films : jdavid@ladybirdsfilms.fr