Description:
A small landlocked country in West Africa, Burkina Faso is home to a vibrant community of artists, musicians, engaged citizens who carry on the revolutionary spirit of Thomas Sankara, killed in a coup d'état led by his best friend and advisor Blaise Compaoré, who then ruled the country as an autocrat for 27 years, until a massive popular insurrection led to his removal. Today, the spirit of resistance and political change is mightier than ever and it permeates every aspect of the Burkinabe life. It is an inspiration, not only to Africa, but to the rest of the world.
Biography:
Iara Lee, activist & filmmaker, is the founder of the Cultures of Resistance Network. She collaborates with agitators, educators, artists, and changemakers around the world to build global solidarity through creative resistance and nonviolent action. Iara has produced several shorts & full-length documentaries to promote conflict prevention and resolution, and is working on a variety of humanitarian, arts and culture diplomacy projects. Her films include Synthetic Pleasures (1996), Modulations: Cinema for the Ear (1998), Cultures of Resistance (2010), The Suffering Grasses: When Elephants Fight, It Is the Grass that Suffers (2012), The Kalasha and the Crescent (2013), Life is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara (2015), K2 and the Invisible Footmen (2015), Burkinabè Rising: The Art of Resistance in Burkina Faso (2018), and Burkinabè Bounty: Agroecology in Burkina Faso (2018).
