Category: Screening
Years after the death of his brother, Burkinabe filmmaker Michel Zongo embarks on a personal quest in Côte d’Ivoire. Joanny had set out there a long time ago but never returned. Like many young men, he sought work in the wealthier neighboring country. The uncertainty of his brother’s fate haunts the director: Who was Joanny, under what circumstances did he live and die? At his destination, Zongo encounters a whole community of Burkinabé working under harsh conditions on cocoa and coffee plantations. Their hope is to quickly earn a lot of money and return home. However, the reality is often quite different. In one of the film’s most poignant scenes, the director plays a video message from his cousin Augustin’s mother. Her accusations about why he hasn’t contacted her and the urgent need to repair their house deeply affect Augustin. His face reflects the entire emotional burden of these hopeful individuals: pressure of expectations, guilt, and shame. When Zongo finally meets people who knew his brother, he finds the solace he had hoped for. Yet, a discomfort remains over how quickly people disappear from memory.
Michel Zongo was born on June 11, 1974, in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. From 2003 to 2008, he worked for the Cinomade organization in Burkina Faso, which is dedicated to political education through cinema. In parallel, he worked as a cameraman and assistant director. Following the short films SIBI, L’ÂME DU VIOLON, and TI TIIMOU (both in 2009), ESPOIR VOYAGE is his first feature-length film.
