This special public screening of “Bravo, Burkina!”, presented by writer/director Walé Oyéjidé, is part of ArtsThursdays, a university-wide initiative supported by the Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA).
RSVP is requested; the screening is free and open to all. Doors will open at 6:30 pm.
“Each of us is familiar with stories of irregular migration. We’re accustomed to seeing migrants depicted as unfortunates who will be a burden on all who receive them. But we’ve heard little of the magic that can occur after their difficult journeys.
“Bravo, Burkina!” offers a different perspective. Through the eyes of a child who abandons a charming West African village, we see the emotional chasms that can be left behind after people migrate to distant lands. We also witness the wondrous contributions that newcomers bring through their labor, craftsmanship, and culture.
In “Bravo”, we are reminded how big the world is, and how interconnected we are – despite our distance.”
Director’s Statement
“Bravo, Burkina!” was made in partnership with the Ethical Fashion Initiative. EFI creates and strengthens social enterprises in emerging economies to connect discerning international brands in fashion, interiors, and fine foods with talented local designers, artisans, and micro-producers.
Filmed in Italy and Burkina Faso in two weeks, “Bravo” is a celebration of those who refuse to remain bound by borders. It was created in collaboration with asylum seekers, Italian artisans, and traditional Burkinabe weavers, all of whom stitched the magic of their traditions into every frame of this film.
Walé Oyéjidé is a director, writer, and designer who dispels bias with beauty. His brand Ikiré Jones employs fashion to center the perspectives of marginalized people. His designs have appeared in major motion pictures (Black Panther, Coming 2 America) and have been exhibited in museums around the globe. Oyéjidé is a Sundance Feature Film Fellow, National Geographic Explorer, TED Fellow, Open Society Foundations Fellow, and Google Image Equity Fellow. His short-form documentary “After Migration: Calabria” is streaming on Criterion Channel.
Walé Oyéjidé previously worked with ArtLab in 2019. His residency, organized in collaboration with the Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA), included a screening of “After Migration” and a conversation with Prof. Teju Cole about the project.
