{"id":114,"date":"2010-04-23T04:49:02","date_gmt":"2010-04-23T09:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blackworldcinema.net\/blog\/?p=114"},"modified":"2025-06-03T00:36:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T05:36:33","slug":"may-6-7pm-thomas-sankara-the-upright-man-and-he-little-girl-who-sold-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackworldcinema.net\/blog\/2010\/04\/23\/may-6-7pm-thomas-sankara-the-upright-man-and-he-little-girl-who-sold-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"May 6, 7pm Thomas Sankara: the Upright Man and the Little Girl Who Sold the Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Thomas<\/a>
May 6 at ICE Theaters, 7pm, $5 general admission<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nThomas Sankara: the Upright Man
\n52 minutes, 2006, France
\nDirector: Robin Shuffield
\nIn French with English subtitles
\nThursday, May 6, 7pm, $5 general admission
\nICE Theaters Chatham 14
\n210 87th Street
\nChicago, IL<\/p>\n

Sankara, a charismatic army captain, came to power in Burkina Faso, in 1983, in a popularly supported coup. He immediately launched the most ambitious program for social and economic change ever attempted on the African continent. To symbolize this rebirth, he even renamed his country from the French colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, \u2018Land of Upright Men.\u2019 As soon as he took office, he reduced the salaries of all public servants, including his own, and forbade the use of chauffeur-driven Mercedes and 1st class airline tickets. Like many revolutionary leaders, he banned unions, a free press, anything which might stand in the way of his plans for the immediate and radical transformation of society.
\n[youtube VftR9vOn8xE 600 400]
\n Thomas Sankara was stalwart in his uphill fight against neo-colonialism and white supremacy from his post as leader of the small West African nation of Burkina Faso. Yet in a story with Shakespearean overtones of intrigue and betrayal, he is overthrown–and murdered–at the behest of one of his closest comrades. Mixing extensive research in archival footage with a taut and gripping narrative, this documentary is an instant classic-in short: a masterpiece.”
\n Gerald Horne, University of Houston<\/p>\n

“Thomas Sankara was more than the “Ch\u00e9 of Africa”; he was a promise to the poorest peasant and a ray of hope for Burkina women.”
\n Nehanda Imara, Merritt College<\/p>\n

The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun, 44 Min., 1999
\nDirector: Djibril Diop Mambety
\nCountry: France, Switzerland, Senegal
\nThursday, May 6, 7pm, $5 general admission
\nICE Theaters Chatham 14
\n210 87th Street
\nChicago, IL<\/p>\n

[youtube bf_k5D40dhw 600 400]
\nLa petite vendeuse de Soleil (The Little Girl who Sold the Sun), Mambety brings us the feisty Sili Lam, a twelve year old paraplegic who becomes the first girl to sell a daily newspaper in the competitive world of young male newspaper vendors. She takes on a policeman whom she accuses of shaking her down as well as the boys who taunt her. When some boys take her newspapers and crutches, and her friend asks her \u201cWhat next?\u201d she triumphantly responds, \u201cWe continue\u201d. The scenes – moving, satiric and comic, are expertly played by non-professional actors to a score by acclaimed musician Wasis Diop (Mambety\u201ds brother).
\n

\"The<\/a>
Shown with Thomas Sankara<\/figcaption><\/figure>