Chaired by SidyLamine Bagayoko,
University Yambo OUOLOGUEM of Bamako (Mali).
When the world hears about the Sahel region many people immediately think of drought, desertification and armed conflicts. What is perhaps less known is that there is a thriving visual anthropology environment and a prolific production of documentary and ethnographic films. In this special session of the NAFA2025 festival we will focus on films from the Sahel, screening the film The Crazies (90′), directed by Fousseyni Maiga, one of the most productive filmmakers in Mali.
He is currently the Director General of the National Center of Cinematography of Mali. In addition to this position, he is a researcher at the Laboratory of Collaborative Visual Anthropology (LAVISCOL) of the University of Bamako. The screenings in this session will consist also of films/film clips from the VA programme in Bamako and other programmes in the region, presented by the chair of the session, SidyLamine Bagayoko, who is head of LAVISCOL.
The Crazies
The film is intended to be a story, told through the prism of philosophical questions and the subjective views of four “madmen”, embodying the main characters of the documentary and the point of view of the director. The characters, artistically forming the same and unique point of view, are in constant movement, in search of essences and in a repetitive exercise of questioning. The common thread of the film is based on the premise that culture leaves no citizen indifferent and that each individual, regardless of the environment, identifies with cultural values and claims an identity, beliefs and essences, specific to them or their community.
2025 (90 mins)
Director/filmmaker: Fousseyni Maiga
Producer/production company: Mariam Kamissoko
Country of production: Mali
Country/location of film: Mali
Fousseyni Maiga is one of the most active Malian filmmakers, with around twenty audiovisual works produced and more than fifty projects (films, series and documentaries) produced through his audiovisual and cinematographic production structure ARC-EN-CIEL FILMS. As the standard-bearer of a new audiovisual and cinematographic offer in Mali, Fousseyni MAIGA claims a cinematographic model oriented towards local realities and resolutely turned towards the public.
“The [following] two films were made in Bamako as a part of the project Sahel-On-Sahel Collaborative Visual Anthropology. In this project as students and researcher fellows, we question topics such as climate change, cultural practices, immigration and professional training in the Sahel region.“
Made for Water
This film titled MADE FOR WATER deals with the process of building pirogues dedicated to the transportation of sand. The main character, Sékou Konta, a fisherman, is originally from Mopti in the centre of Mali. He moved to Bamako 20 years ago with his family to carry out this activity.
2025 (22 mins)
Producer/production company: Sahel-on-Sahel Collaborative Visual Anthropology project
Country of production: Mali
Country/location of film: Mali
Language: Bambara, Mali
Navigate on the Sand
This film shows the work of Bozo ethnic group, usually known as fishermen but transitioning in sand extraction activities due to the scarcity of fish in the river. It has been shot from anthropological and collaborative approach with the community. The film ‘NAVIGATE ON THE SAND’ shows the daily life of Abdoulaye Konta a Bozo man and his colleagues on the bank of the Niger River in Kabala, Bamako. Though, the Bozo people are known as fishermen; with this film, we understand the way they deal with fish scarcity in creating news activities such as sand extraction in order to survive economically.
2025 (20 mins)
Producer/production company: Sahel-on-Sahel Collaborative Visual Anthropology project
Country of production: Mali
Country/location of film: Mali
NAFA 2025 