The monthlong Cascade Festival of African Films (CFAF) is well underway in Portland. The festival offers a true variety of films from around Africa for audiences to immerse themselves in, at no cost. Each February, CFAF invites directors to screen their films and speak about their work -- this year is no different.
KBOO's Althea Billings interviews Moussa Sène Absa about his films on view at the festival, Tableau Ferraille (1997), screening Saturday, February 15th at 2 p.m. at PCC Cascade, and Xalé (2022) screening Friday, February 14th at 6:30 p.m. at the Hollywood Theater.
Moussa Sène Absa began cinema as a screewriter for the film Les enfants de Dieu. His first short, Le prix du mensonge, received the Silver Tanit at Carthage 1988. In 1991, he directed the feature film Ken Bugul followed, in 1992, by the feature film Ça twiste à Popenguine, which won international recognition. In 1996, he directed Tableau Ferraille (Best Image at Fespaco 1997), the first part of his trilogy on women followed by Madame Brouette (Silver Bear, Berlinale 2002) and Xalé (2022).
His last two feature films, Teranga Blues and Yoole were selected in competition at FESPACO in 2007 and 2013.