Delwende (2005) ( Delwende, lève-toi et marche )

Delwende (2005) (DVD) (*)

$34.99

Alternate Title: Delwende, lève-toi et marche
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Cannes Film Festival

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Subtitles )
German ( Subtitles )
Multi-lingual ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
Switzerland ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
90 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.85:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 2005 and produced in:
Burkina Faso ( Africa, Middle East )
France ( France, Benelux )
Switzerland ( Germany, Central Europe )

Directed By:
S. Pierre Yameogo

Written By:
S. Pierre Yameogo

Actors:
Blandine Yaméogo ..... Napoko
Claire Ilboudo ..... Pougbila
Célestin Zongo ..... Diahrra
Abdoulaye Komboudri ..... Nonceur
Daniel Kabore ..... Bancé, l'ancien
Jules Taonssa ..... Raogo, le devin
Thomas Ngourma ..... Elie, le fou

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Pougbila is an exuberant dancer, which causes her peers to remark cattily on her seductive moves. At the same time a village child dies of unexplained causes, Pougbila tells her mother Napoko that she''s been raped. However, she refuses to reveal the perpetrator. As child deaths mount, the villagers speculate that a witch is behind the tragedies. Under the pretext of protecting his daughter, Pougbila''s father hastens to marry her to a nearby villager, ignoring Napoko''s objections. After Pougbila leaves, village elders call soothsayer to find the witch who is causing the child deaths. The village soon becomes convinced that Napoko is the evil one and she''s chased out of town. Forced to wander the countryside, Napoko seeks refuge in one of the shelters for women accused of witchcraft. Pougbila hears of her mother''s fate and sets out to find her and confront the village elders with the truth.

This mother-daughter tale focuses on the injustice of some traditional African practices and women's struggle for equality. A small village in Burkino Faso is devastated by the sudden death of many of its children. Fearing the worst, Diarrha sends his daughter Pougbila to get married in another village despite the objections of his wife Napoko. She learns that their daughter has been raped, possibly by her own husband and therefore she accepts the arranged marriage despite her own reservations. Following a village tradition, the elders conduct a witch-hunt to find the person responsible for all the deaths. The blame falls on Napoko and she is chased out of the village. Upon learning of her mother's fate, Pougbila embarks on a journey to find her. Her travel leads her to the capital, Ouagadougou, where she finds her mother in a shelter for women accused of witchcraft. Intent on exposing the truth, she brings Napoko home and forces the elders to confront the truth: Diarrha took advantage of a local village tradition in order to direct the blame towards his wife. Based on a true story, Delwende examines some traditional customs in Africa and the role women play in exposing the injustices perpetrated against them.

Director/screenwriter S. Pierre Yameogo draws on the true story of one woman to craft this tale of a desperate mother and daughter at risk of succumbing to a sexist tradition based on localized superstition. A young village boy has died of meningitis, and Napoko Diarrha has been accused of eating his soul. Napoko's husband feels dishonored by the fact that his wife resisted the prospect of marrying off the couple's daughter, and he has struck back at her by spreading a vicious rumor that will almost certainly result in her death. Her fate in the hands of the village elders, Napoko flees to the nearby town of Ouagadougou before her trial can take place. But as Napoko's life force fades, her daughter grows stronger with each passing day. Later, the young girl sets out to Ouagadougou in search of her missing mother, and the pair attempts a daring escape from their male-dominated society.

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 29 July, 2018.

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