Idrissa Ouédraogo

Idrissa Ouédraogo was born on January 21, 1954, in Banfora. Graduating from the African Institute for Cinematic Studies (INAFEC) in Ouagadougou and the IDHEC/Sorbonne in Paris, Ouédraogo emerged as a leader of the golden age of African auteur cinema.

His 1989 film Yaaba ('Grandmother') enchanted audiences worldwide with its lyrical, non-judgmental portrait of village life and friendship between an outcast elderly woman and two children. In 1990, his film Tilaï ('The Law') won the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and the Étalon de Yennenga at FESPACO. A dedicated mentor to young African directors, he established Burkina Faso as the recognized capital of Pan-African cinema.