France/Canada/Burkina Faso 2006, French and Bambara with English subtitles, 35mm, 86 min
Director: Laurent Salgues
Screenplay : Laurent Salgues
Cinematography: Crystel Fournier
Cast: Makena Diop, Rasmané Ouedraogo, Fatou Tall-Salgues
Print Source: WIDE Management
Makena Diop, who gave such an arresting performance in 2005 DIFF favourite The Hero returns to our screens in this tale of a Nigerian peasant who hopes to put his past behind him by working in a gold mine in Burkina Faso .
Set in Essakane in northeastern Burkino Faso, Mocktar Dicko works long, hard hours in a gold mine for almost no remuneration. He has evidently experienced some tragedy in the past, which often haunts him as he goes about his daily tasks in the deplorable conditions of the mine, where each descent might be his last. The film explores Mocktar's ability to cope with past mistakes while ensuring a better future for those around him.
Beautifully filmed on location, the film does a good job of capturing the misery that is the lot of many of those who live in Burkino Faso. First-time director Laurent Salgues conveys the message that Burkina Faso, like many African nations, has the opportunity to be wealthy, but these opportunities are stymied by foreign intervention and greed, and local corruption.
The Cape Winelands will again at the 2012 edition of this festival present a series of Masterclasses and workshops. These events are sponsored by the City of Cape Town and Wesgro.
Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes festival, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s new film has the magic of a fairy tale and the simplicity of a folk tale. Wonderfully immersive, slow and dreamy, 
