Rwandan director Joel Karekezi’s “The Mercy of the Jungle” on Saturday scooped up the best film award at Africa’s top film festival, following a fierce debate about gender equality and sexual aggression in the continent’s movie industry.
The film was among 20 vying for the top Golden Stallion of Yennenga award at the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco).
A road movie focusing on the wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo through the eyes of two soldiers lost in the jungle, it also picked up the best actor award for Belgian Marc Zinga.
Egyptian director Khaled Youssef won second prize for his drama “Karma”, while third prize went to Tunisia’s Ben Hohmound for “Fatwa” about a father who discovers that his dead son had been a jihadist.
In the half century since it was established, Fespaco has never awarded its top prize to a female director — a fact that faced uncomfortable scrutiny during the week-long event.
Only four of the films in competition at the festival were directed by women.
“Where are the women?” asked South African actress Xolile Tshabalala, who starred in “Miraculous Weapons” made by Cameroonian director Jean-Pierre Bekolo.
“Can it be that in 50 years, there hasn’t been a single woman capable of telling a great story to win the Fespaco?”
