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Zan Boko (12A*) + Live Poetry Reading

Chronic Youth Film Festival

,Cinema 3
A man stands in front of a thatched roof mud hut, holding a clay pot, with a confused look on his face.

Gaston Kaboré’s masterpiece is a celebration of ancestral traditions and searing commentary on rapid gentrification and state-controlled media.

At once a celebration of ancestral traditions in agrarian Burkinabé societies, and a searing commentary on rapid gentrification and state-controlled media, Gaston Kaboré’s Zan Boko deserves to be heralded as a masterpiece of contemporary African cinema.

In the Mooré language of Burkina Faso, Zan Boko translates to ‘place where the placenta is buried’, symbolising each generation's sacred bond with the land. 

Kaboré’s sensitive, and at times satirical film follows Tinga, a rural farmer attempting to defend his native land from absurd postcolonial urban expansion, and Yabré, a headstrong TV journalist facing censorship from the corrupt government as he tries to expose the injustice Tinga’s community is facing. 

Before the screening, there will be a poetry reading from Barbican Young Poet, Rachel Lewis.

Tagged with: Cinema Chronic Youth Film Festival 2024

Burkina Faso, 1988, Gaston Kaboré, 102min, 12A

Content Warnings: Conflict and Disputes.

We’re delighted to be showcasing this rarely seen archive film and have endeavoured to find the best materials available for this screening. Please note that the film was made in 1988 and the onscreen resolution may be lower than usual cinema releases.  

Cinema 3

Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you across the road to the venue. 

Address
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.