Three Swiss films in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

"An African Election" follows the 2008 presidential elections in the small African country of Ghana, where film director Jarreth Merz, born in Zurich in 1970, grew up. Because Merz had access to both political factions as a film director, his compelling portrayal provides insight into an election campaign, albeit scarcely noticed by the international public, and the victory for democracy. The film is a coproduction by Amka Film in Ticino and the Italian Swiss Broadcasting Service (TSI). It was already screened at renowned festivals in Amsterdam and in Sundance. In Ouagadougou it will be presented together with 13 other works in the Panorama of Documentary Films section.

"Il nuovo sud dell'Italia" is a cinematic reflection on how Southern Italy is changing: what was once a locus of emigration has now become a locus of immigration due to the influx of migrants from Africa, Rumania and the Ukraine. Pino Esposito's documentary film, which has already been screened in Lisbon and Locarno, will be presented in the View of Africa section in Burkina Faso. This section is comprised of 20 films and will also present "Madame Dakar," the 50-minute fiction film by the Amsterdam-based Swiss director Sabine Mooibroek. The film will celebrate its premiere in Ouagadougou.

Zurich, February 25, 2011