LIVING WORDS - DEMOCRACY MOVEMENTS 

A meeting takes place in Burkina Faso between the founder of the popular Naam movement, Bernard Ouédraogo and the Danish author, debater, and politician, Ebbe Kløvedal Reich. The theme is: democracy. The Naam movement consists of small, democratically structured groups that work together on accomplishing development in their particular civil community. The fundamental principle of the Naam movement is development without destruction; and the movement (which has been dubbed 'The Quiet Revolution') now encompasses more than 4,000 groups of approximately 50 members in Burkina Faso alone. Bernard Ouédraogo's development model has a micro-economic basis, and repudiates the developmental methods that was introduced during and after colonialisation. Ebbe Kløvedal Reich and Bernard Ouédraogo meet in the film for the first time. They discuss democracy, popular government as opposed to national economics and the apparatus of state, power, tradition, and progress. Ebbe Kløvedal Reich reflects upon his impressions and their relevance for a Western contect. His knowledge of the history of Danish and Western democracies and their present-day crisis will be the mirror in which the story of this African democratic project will be reflected.

 

Release: 1996 (Denmark)

Duration: 44 minutes

Genre: Documentary short

Spoken language: Mossi, English and Danish

 

Director: Dola Bonfils

Screenplay: Dola Bonfils
Cinematography: Björn Blixt

Editor: Niels Pagh Andersen
Sound Design: Henrik Garnov

Producer: Dola Bonfils, Lise Lense-Møller and Lone Hey

Production Country: Magic Hour Films

Production Company: Magic Hour Films

Coproducer: DR

Produced with support from: Danida, Documentary and The European Commission