Tiken Jah Fakoly has already done a great deal, in many fields, to give substance to his struggle, but he had never before been on the bill of a feature film.
Directed by Samir Benchikh, the documentary "Sababou (hope)" tells of the struggles of four people, far from the clichés "of indolence, resignation and miserabilism". Four journeys, four struggles followed by the camera, showing moments of doubt, laughter and tears.
Rosine Bangali is the president of Children's Rights in Côte d'Ivoire. Heading this association made up of children aged 12 to 18, she fights to make known and enforce the ministerial order banning violence and humiliation in schools. She has to convince children and teachers, some of whom are hostile to abandoning corporal punishment.
Michel Yao, for his part, is a member of the Ivorian Human Rights League. He provides legal assistance to inmates of the Abidjan remand and correctional facility, some of whom have been waiting years for a trial.
Reggae fans will be particularly moved by the stories of Diabson Téré, a singer whose association Maroci Culture aims to support creation and unite artists, and of Tiken Jah Fakoly.
"I try to be in harmony with my songs", the Ivorian singer explains to those welcoming him in Guinea. A few days before the presidential elections, the singer is there to take part in a concert for peace. Like Bob Marley in 1978 at the One Love Peace Concert, he hopes to persuade the two candidates, Alpha Condé and Cellou Diallo, to get on stage together to ease tensions. The two politicians congratulate him and encourage him in his initiative, but take good care not to answer his question…
We also get a sense of the different approaches among the artists. Where Tiken seeks dialogue and consensus, Takana Zion, also present at the press conference, warns, despite the mic being cut off: "You can't be neutral. If Alpha Condé is elected, I'm leaving Guinea!".
Tiken, Diabson, Rosine and Michel see their adventure through to the end, despite the difficulties, in an attempt to change things. As Tiken told us in an interview, "nobody will do it in our place". And it is no accident that the film ends on the words of Ca va faire mal...
"Sababou (hope)" – Documentary by Samir Benchikh
In cinemas on 6 March 2013