Martin Stahl

“Le point de vue du lion” - a movie by Senegalese rap artist Didier Awadi.

Synopis:
“50 years of independence. They promised us happiness and prosperity. Nowadays young Africans climb into simple wooden boats, they cross the desert and the sea towards Eldorado.” Why? What are the deeper reasons? And how could it come this far? These were the starting questions from director and hip hop star Didier Awadi. For several years he interviewed ex-presidents and ministers, important UN officials, writers, artists, historians, activists and lay migrants and refugees: 44 people who analyse the situation of their continent and they do not mince matters! The result is a decidedly Pan-African, deliberately subjective and revolutionary documentary whose power of impact leaves little to be desired.

“Technically speaking this is no Spielberg or Spike Lee film. Our goal is to bring across a pan-African message. Don’t expect any naive objectivity. Our intention is purely subjective. Our purpose is revolutionary. We stand by this.” Didier Awadi

“African policies are determined from the outside, not by Africans themselves. They should be allowed to express what they think about current policies, colonisation, de-colonisation, foreign military bases on their territory, the colonial currency still used today, questions about migration. We welcome the whole world here, but nobody wants to welcome us anywhere. It is a hypocrisy that we must name, shame and fight against.” Didier Awadi in conversation with Olivier Barlet, Africultures

Against the background of blatant racism the debates surrounding “illegal immigration” and the consequent questions over security are becoming more and more omnipresent in the West. Meanwhile Africans, those mainly affected by this discriminatory practice, hardly react. However, Didier Awadi, did not want to keep quiet. afrik.com

Director
Didier Awadi, rapper, DJ and musician born in Dakar in 1969, is one of the pioneers of the hip hop movement in Senegal and West Africa. After his first group, Didier Awadi’s Syndicate, he founded in 1989 together with Amadou Barry, alias Doug-E-Tee, PBS (Positive Black Soul) and released the album Boul faalé in 1994 with worldwide success. In his three solo albums Kaddu gor (2001), Un autre monde est possible (2005) and Sunugaal (2006) as well as his latest project Président d´Afrique (2010), he reflects on pan-Africanism, advocates greater humanity in international politics and commemorates formative personalities of independent Africa.

The Lion’s Point of View
Director: Didier Awadi
With Abdou Diouf, Amadou Moctar Mbow, Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Aminata Traoré, Téophile Obenga, Amady Aly Dieng, Taoufik Ben Abdalah, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Moussa Dembélé, and many more
SN 2011

Distribution info: africavenir.org