Katy Léna Ndiaye, Belgium/Senegal/Burkina Faso, 2019, 67m

In 2014, what the people of Burkina Faso wouldn’t dare imagine for decades suddenly became their new reality: the unyielding protests by the Burkinabè against Blaise Compaoré brought a forceful end to his 27 year dictatorship. Among the uprising’s most instrumental voices is Smockey, rapper and co-founder of Balai Citoyen, a movement of artists calling on youth to join the resistance. During the transitional period ushering in a democratically elected president, Smockey anticipates the tension between uncertainty and hope through political activism and the soundtrack of his socially conscious music.

This screening is a part of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF)