„Revolutions past and present. Burkina Faso and the relevance of anti-colonialism“
– film screening & discussion –
Date & time: Wednesday, 15 November, 2017 at 7 pm
Venue: Invitation_Revolutions past and present,
Sternstraße 20, 34123 Kassel
30 years ago the president of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara was assassinated. This end of an “anti-imperialist revolution” marked the beginning of decades of dictatorial rule by the regime of his murderer Blaise Compaoré. However, three years ago, mass protests forced the president to leave office.
After a brief introduction to Thomas Sankara and his pan-Africanist and anti-colonial politics, we watch a filmic remembrance of the popular insurrection in Burkina Faso in 2014. “Revolution with bare hands. The trajectory of a people. Burkina Faso” by Moussa Ouédraogo & Hans-Georg Eberl (2016, French/Morée with English subtitles). The film approaches protagonists of the revolution. It asks about reasons and motivations based in the living conditions of the population as well as in memories of foregone struggles for emancipation during previous decades such as those linked to the times of Thomas Sankara.
After the screening, Vanessa Eileen Thompson (Goethe University Frankfurt) will animate the discussion by contextualising the film in debates on postcolonial feminism and by inquiring into the relevance of pan-Africanist ideas for anti-racist movements in Europe today.
«Les peuples du monde entier ont le même combat à livrer pour la justice sociale, pour la liberté, pour la démocratie.» (Thomas Sankara)
“The peoples of the whole world have to undertake the same fight for social justice, for freedom, for democracy.” (Thomas Sankara)