Madagascar at the Oscars

A French filmmaker witnesses a "the turning of the dead people" ceremony in Madagascar. Amazingly, the film explores this event without necessarily exoticizing it.

Stills from 'Madagascar, a Journey Diary,' directed by Bastein Dubois.

French filmmaker, Bastien Dubois short animated film, “Madagascar, a Journey Diary (Carnet de Voyage).” has been nominated for an Oscar at this Sunday’s 2011 Academy Award ceremony. The film (watch an excerpt here) is about Dubois’ experience witnessing a Famadihana, or “the turning of the dead people” ceremony in Madagascar. Amazingly, the film explores this event without necessarily exoticizing it: a tough feat for a travel log. The soundtrack is recorded by local musicians and Dubois uses mixed mediums (everything from embroidery to scrap metal) to relate to his audience in a visceral way.

The film’s animation is carefully crafted, but doesn’t imitate the realism of live action. Rather, the drawings reflect what images might look like in the human memory of an event. Special emphasis is placed on precise details such as a child’s curious stare as Dubois enters the village for the first time,  and the way music moves people at the ceremony.  “A Journey Diary” is an interesting watch, and at just 11 minutes long, it won’t eat up too much of your day.

Further Reading

Rebuilding Algeria’s oceans

Grassroots activists and marine scientists in Algeria are building artificial reefs to restore biodiversity and sustain fishing communities, but scaling up requires more than passion—it needs institutional support and political will.

Ibaaku’s space race

Through Afro-futurist soundscapes blending tradition and innovation, Ibaaku’s new album, ‘Joola Jazz,’ reshapes Dakar’s cultural rhythm and challenges the legacy of Négritude.

An allegiance to abusers

This weekend, Chris Brown will perform two sold-out concerts in South Africa. His relationship to the country reveals the twisted dynamic between a black American artist with a track record of violence and a country happy to receive him.

Shell’s exit scam

Shell’s so-called divestment from Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a calculated move to evade accountability, leaving behind both environmental and economic devastation.

Africa’s sibling rivalry

Nigeria and South Africa have a fraught relationship marked by xenophobia, economic competition, and cultural exchange. The Nigerian Scam are joined by Khanya Mtshali to discuss the dynamics shaping these tensions on the AIAC podcast.

The price of power

Ghana’s election has brought another handover between the country’s two main parties. Yet behind the scenes lies a flawed system where wealth can buy political office.

Beats of defiance

From the streets of Khartoum to exile abroad, Sudanese hip-hop artists have turned music into a powerful tool for protest, resilience, and the preservation of collective memory.