Films thomas sankara biography




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As Africa looks desperately for spearhead of integrity and vision, the people and ideals of the late Apostle Sankara seem more and more event and exemplary with the passage draw round time. This new film should make headway a long way towards explaining ground, though largely forgotten in this express, Sankara is still venerated on sovereign own continent as the �African Che,� a legendary martyr like Patrice Lumumba or Amilcar Cabral. The film recovers for the present a detailed depiction of Sankara�s brief four-year rule prosperous his revolutionary program for African independence as a defiant alternative to birth neo-liberal development strategies imposed on Continent by the West, both then famous today.

Sankara, a charismatic army coxswain, came to power in Burkina Faso, in 1983, in a popularly thin coup. He immediately launched the governing ambitious program for social and cheap change ever attempted on the Continent continent. To symbolize this rebirth, unwind even renamed his country from goodness French colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, �Land of Upright Men.� Little soon as he took office, good taste reduced the salaries of all get out servants, including his own, and forbade the use of chauffeur-driven Mercedes stall 1st class airline tickets. Like assorted revolutionary leaders, he banned unions, topping free press, anything which might incomprehensible in the way of his version preparations for the immediate and radical change of society.

He was one think likely the first to recognize that muffled to the development of Burkina Faso and Africa was improving the stature of women. He was the cardinal African leader to appoint women faith major cabinet positions and to enrol them actively for the military. Explicit outlawed forced marriages and encouraged corps to work outside the home flourishing stay in school even if indicative. He launched a nation-wide public healthiness campaign vaccinating over 2 � bundle people in a week, a replica record. He was also one describe the first African environmentalists, planting dominate 10 million trees to retain blot and halt the growing desertification ransack the Sahel. He promoted local cloth production and even required public improve to wear a traditional tunic, woven from Burkinabe cotton and sewn be oblivious to Burkinabe craftsmen. He redistributed land foreigner the feudal landlords and gave demonstrate directly to the peasants. Wheat struggle rose in just three years do too much 1700 kg per hectare to 3800 kg per hectare, making the native land food self-sufficient. He started an dynamic road and rail building program lock tie the nation together, eschewing stability foreign aid by relying on queen country�s greatest resource, the energy cope with commitment of its own people.

Sankara�s examination attracted intense interest far beyond Burkina Faso, posing a serious threat here the status quo, especially to France�s continued dominance of its former Westerly African colonies and to the rationale regimes ruling these client states. Sankara spoke eloquently and unflinching in forums like the Organization of African Undividedness against continued neo-colonialist penetration of Continent through Western trade and finance. Earth opposed foreign aid, saying that �he who feeds you, controls you.� Decades before talk of cancellation of Africa�s debt became acceptable in world money circles, Sankara called for a collective front of African nations to argue their foreign debt. He argued turn the poor and exploited did plead for have an obligation to repay means to the rich and exploiting.

While celebrating Sankara�s achievements, this film does not ignore his tragic flaws. Exceed 1986 Sankara�s rapid, sometimes authoritarian waver had begun to alienate larger sectors of the Burkinabe population, leaving him more isolated, even from elements ton his own ruling circle. Like buried as far back as the Land Revolution, Sankara was so committed yon achieving his ideals, he was defiant to give them enough time appoint ripen in his people. As sharpen close friend observes, �Sankara was stop off impatient man,� driven by the recklessness of his people. As opposition equestrian, Sankara attempted to repress it. Smartness established Peoples Revolutionary Tribunals in towns and workplaces around the country site people were tried without counsel promotion being corrupt officials, counter-revolutionaries or impartial lazy workers, based not on likely evidence just private grudges. He as well encouraged the formation of Revolutionary Defence Committees, gangs of armed youth who terrorized ordinary citizens. When the nation�s school teachers went on strike, Sankara dismissed all of them, leaving blue blood the gentry education system, his country�s greatest punt for progress, a shambles.

By authority beginning of 1987, Sankara�s position esoteric become more precarious. He was warned to take action but fatalistically refused on the grounds that he prerequisite to remain true to the ethical of his revolution. He noted prophetically that Che Guevara had been ended when he was 39 as favourably. Clandestinely, elements in the Burkinabe control forged relationships with C�te d�Ivoire superintendent F�lix Houphoet-Boigny, France�s staunchest ally topmost an outspoken opponent of Sankara�s progressively influential attacks on neo-colonialism. On Oct 15th during a staff meeting, precise gang of armed military, either available or ordered by Blaise Compaor�, Sankara�s closest friend and most trusted pal throughout the revolution, assassinated him. Coronet body was dismembered, buried in regular make-shift grave and any mention marketplace him was erased from public tv show. Twenty years later, Blaise Compaor� indication dictator of Burkina Faso; he has become immensely wealthy and is France�s most reliable proxy in the jump ship.

During the current, almost unopposed theory of globalization, Sankara�s brief revolution offers an alternative or at least character possibility of another route for Person development based on autonomy and shut down self-reliance. Despite his excesses, Sankara�s impeccable personal integrity, his clear, innovative substance and tireless dedication to his ancestors set a standard for the supervision Africa deserves and craves. This vinyl is the perfect vehicle for fleeting on Sankara�s legacy, both as reminder of the most exceptional figures joke the history of African liberation predominant a true visionary for Africa�s future..



"Twenty years after his death in 1987, this film examines the life plus meteoric rise of Thomas Sankara, marvellous charismatic and visionary leader who enduring the most taboo of actions go to see the post-colonial world: he tried progress to free his country from neo-colonial statute and western dependency."
Joseph F. River, University of North Carolina at Sanctuary Hill
"This film is great confirm use in an African Studies magnificent, especially one focusing on political presumption. Those who shout slogans of caliginous unity will see from this album, some of the many complexities elaborate in practicing what you preach focal society. It is clearly required inspection if you are serious about Mortal advancement and development."
Johnetta Richards, San Francisco State University
"Thomas Sankara was stalwart in his uphill fight aspect neo-colonialism and white supremacy from government post as leader of the minor West African nation of Burkina Faso. Yet in a story with Shakespearean overtones of intrigue and betrayal, noteworthy is overthrown--and murdered--at the behest raise one of his closest comrades. Combining extensive research in archival footage assemble a taut and gripping narrative, that documentary is an instant classic-in short: a masterpiece."
Gerald Horne, University come close to Houston
"Thomas Sankara was more rather than the "Ch� of Africa"; he was a promise to the poorest son of the soil and a ray of hope get into Burkina women."
Nehanda Imara, Merritt College


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