2007年VOA标准英语-Africa's Largest Film Festival to Reflect on Ch

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
23 February 2007

Filmmakers, fans and critics are preparing to attend one of Africa's largest film festivals known as FESPACO.  As theaters are shutting down across Africa, the festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso opening this Saturday is one of the few remaining places to see African cinema on the big screen, and to debate its future. Phuong Tran catches up with participants and has this report from VOA's Central and West Africa bureau¹ in Dakar.

 
The festival will show more than 200 films, and host a meeting on how globalization has affected² African cinema.

The President of the Senegalese Film Association³, Cheikh Ba, says globalization has hit artists hard in Africa.

Ba says when governments cut funding for the arts to help reduce their debts, African cinema went through a crisis⁴. He says it is almost impossible for filmmakers to survive without government subsidies⁵.

French film critic Jean Roy says African filmmakers have had to look for cheaper ways to make films. 

He says digital technology makes it possible even for someone in a remote village to make a film.

"It is much easier, much cheaper to shoot movies [with] all these new digital technologies," he said.  "You do not need an expensive lab. Now, a camera is becoming like a pen. Everyone can shoot a movie, a movie like you write a letter or you write a novel."

As more viewers have access to these low-budget films, African producers complain their films are being illegally copied. 

They say even shantytowns have illegal video clubs.

While digital technology increases what is known as popular cinema in countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Egypt, Roy says more films does not mean better films.

"Of course, they are very low budget and they are not so interesting, because their aim is to be sold, and you just go on to the next one," he added.

 
Senegalese documentarian, Samba Felix Ndiaye
But Senegalese documentarian, Samba Felix Ndiaye, 61, says digital technology can help produce high-quality films on much-needed topics.

Ndiaye digitally shot his most recent film called Questions to My Native Land, which he entered into this year's first documentary⁶ competition at FESPACO.

He says no matter how a film is made, African filmmakers still have a hard time finding⁷ people to show their films.

Ndiaye says filmmakers should approach newly⁸ privatized television stations.  He says even though there are no programs or channels reserved yet for cinema in Africa, television will play a bigger role in helping⁹ films reach more people.

But Senegal's Film Association president Ba says television stations are not interested in films.

He says filmmakers need to find another solution.

Ba says one country alone cannot support its filmmakers, but many countries in a region¹⁰ can combine their audiences and resources to promote each other's films.

He says this regional distribution¹¹ network will help filmmakers reach a larger audience, and cover their production costs.

Film critic Roy says getting these films to an international audience is even harder. He says he sees about five films on Africa each year at international film festivals.

"On a continent that is so huge, you should have more films," he said.  "But for that you need some political will to put money [into films]. You need cultural will to consider cineastes as important people and as artists."

Burkinabe filmmaker Fanta Regina Nacra is a judge in this year's short-film competition.

Nacra says because it is so hard for filmmakers to show their work, FESPACO is important to keep African cinema alive.

She says the audience will be pleased with this year's films. She adds the films are of international quality, and can compete at any festival.

The FESPACO festival opens Saturday and will continue for one week.

This twentieth FESPACO festival will have a special section on Malian cinema.

A total of 20 films are competing for the prestigious¹² feature film prize worth about $20,000.

1 bureau   

n.提供或收集消息的机构；局，司，处；署

参考例句：

• The weather bureau makes daily reports on weather conditions.气象局每天报告天气状况。
• The Tourist Bureau arranged everything for our journey to Rome.旅游局已为我们去罗马旅行准备了一切。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

4 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

5 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 documentary   

adj.文献的；n.纪录片

参考例句：

• This case lacked documentary proof.本案缺少书面证据。
• I watched a documentary on the Civil War.我看了一部关于内战的纪录片。

7 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

8 newly   

adv.新近，最近；重新，再度；以新的方式

参考例句：

• Have you reviewed for this newly published novel?你给这本新出版的小说写书评了吗？
• It is a newly planted tree and it has not established yet.这是一颗新栽的树，还没有扎下根来。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

11 distribution   

n.运送；分发，分配；分布，分布状态

参考例句：

• The conference discussed the fair distribution of income and wealth.会议讨论了公平分配收入和财富的问题。
• Unequal distribution of wealth may cause division in society.财富分配不均会引起社会分裂。

12 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。