Al Djanat, the Original Paradise
African Directors
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1h 24m
Directed by Chloé Aïcha BORO • Documentary • 2023 • 83 minutes
When her uncle dies, Chloé Aïcha Boro films the courtyard at the family house in Burkina Faso, where communal meetings and prayers have been held. Some of the heirs lay claim to it under French law, whereas others believe they can preserve the emblematic function of the courtyard, which had been handed down to them in the oral tradition. Observing the situation, the film broadens the perspective, giving us a glimpse of a society frequently facing the conflict between official law and customary law. Since she now lives in France, the filmmaker also questions her own status, and raises questions that make this all the more timely.
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