Idrissa Ouédraogo (1993).

Burkina Faso, France, South Africa.

The restoration of Samba Traoré (1992) was carried out as part of the Locarno Heritage project in collaboration with partner Cinegrell and represents a significant step towards the preservation of African film heritage. For this 4K restoration, the original 35mm negative was digitised and restored in high quality, complemented by a new colour correction carried out by Cinegrell. All original elements are preserved at the Cinémathèque Suisse on behalf of Waka Films.

Samba Traoré, which was awarded the Silver Bear at the 1993 Berlin International Film Festival, is a key work for understanding the vitality of Burkinabe cinema and the poetic development of its creator. 

Idrissa Ouedraogo's fourth feature film skilfully combines elements of genre cinema with neo-realist approaches. Ouedraogo's masterpiece has inspired numerous directors to follow the path of cinema. Samba Traoré is a film that should be celebrated and is waiting to be discovered by new generations of film lovers.

Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director, Locarno Film Festival