Burkina Faso / 1991 / 94mins / Drama / French and Mooré

An unusual look at daily urban life in West Africa, Laafi tells a common story. A bright, ambitious young man from humble origins finds that connections and money count more than smarts or good intentions in the big city. Joe, intent on raising the standards of health care in Burkina Faso, wants to study medicine, but the bureaucrats in Ouagadougo are unimpressed by his exceptional high school science grades and sincerity. Refusing to give up, Joe learns that persistence is the only weapon against red tape. In an almost verité style, Yameogo sets Joe’s metropolitan odyssey against the leisure of life in his rural hometown. A refreshing look at a side of African life rarely found on the screen, Laafi was awarded top prize at the 1991 Festival of Pan-African Cinema in Ouagadougou.

Saint Pierre Yaméogo

Saint Pierre Yaméogo was born in 1955 in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. His first feature film, Laafi, was selected in 1991 for the Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival. Wendemi, his second feature film, was awarded a prize at FESPACO 1993 and selected for the Cannes Un Certain Regard section. Yaméogo divided his time between Ouagadougou and Paris, where he created his own production company, Dunia Production. Dunia produced films by various African filmmakers including Dani Kouyate, Guy Désiré Yaméogo, and Missa Hebie. Saint Pierre Yaméogo passed away in April 2019 at the age of 63 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Learn More