The iREP International Documentary Film Festival organizers have announced that ‘Garderie Nocturne’ (Night Nursery) will close this year’s festival.
The movie won the Best Documentary Film Grand Prize at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival, FESPACO in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The 2022 iREP organized by the Foundation for the Promotion of Documentary Film in Africa in collaboration with the San Diego, US-based African World Documentary Film Festival, AWDFF, with partnership support from German Films, AgDok, Goethe Institut Lagos, among others, will happen from March 17 to 20 in Lagos and virtually.
A statement from the iREP programme directorate disclosed that the 67-minute film directed by Moumouni Sanou would be the last of the over 60 films for screening during the four-day festival.
Themed’ UNFILTERED: African Stories. Stories from Africa’, the festival will also feature conversations, training, workshops, mentorship session and producers’ roundtable, among others. Organizers further disclosed that the theme is to examine “how Africa is being represented or otherwise by filmmakers and storytellers who engage her issues.”
Screening on Sunday, February 20, ‘Night Nursery’ is a fascinating story of the lives and activities at a popular ‘social’ centre in Bobo Dioulasso, one of Burkina Faso’s major cities.
Sex workers in the town leave their children in the care of Ms Coda, an elderly lady who has been caring for the young ones whose mothers earn their living on the streets at night for decades. Filmmaker Sanou has managed over the years to gain the trust of everyone involved and gain a deep insight into the lives of Odile and Farida, both of whom depend on Ms Coda’s services. He observes tenderly and very closely all aspects of her life, housework, free time, intimate moments of motherhood, including her relationship with Mrs Coda and how she raises her children.
The film focuses on the experiences of women. Men and fathers are absent, except in the times amusing, sometimes deeply shocking stories that Farida and Odile tell about their work. Sanou’s reserved, respectful look clarifies the advantages of horizontal filmmaking, which is characterized by the greatest possible attention and sensitivity towards the protagonists.
The 67 minutes flick, produced by Berni Goldblat, juror member of the African Movie Award Academy (AMAA), is co-produced by Les Films Du Djabadjah (Burkina Faso), Vrai Vrai Films (France), and Blinker Filmproduktion (Germany).
It also won Best Film Awards at Astra Film Festival Romania 2021, Best Documentary Award Mashariki Film Festival Rwanda 2021 and Honourable Award at Panorama Internacional Coisa De Cinema Brazil 2021.
It was a major feature at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival. It began its European tour, starting from Germany, in January.