ZAN BOKO/HOMELAND (Burkina Faso, 1988, 94 min.), directed by Gaston J.M. Kaboré; screenplay by Gaston J.M. Kaboré; cinematography by Sekou Ouedraogo; music by Henri Guedon and Don Cherry; sound by Issa Traore; edited by Andrée Davanture and Marie-Jeanne Kanyala; with Joseph Nikiema (Tinga), Colette Kaboré (Napoko, his wife), ), Michel Zoundi (Tibo, his son), Jean-François Ouedraogo (Roger, his neighbor), Celestin Zongo (Yabré), Georgette Salambere (Simone), Hyppolyte Wangrawa (Guardian), Jean-Modeste Ouedraogo (Minister), Julien Yougbare (Secretary-General), Fati Dakouré (Talato). In Moré with English subtitles.

Jot down responses to each of the following. Do detailed responses to 3.

1. Discuss the title of the film. Does it work? Discuss the attitudes of the various characters with respect to the idea of "homeland."

2. Discuss the opening of the film. In this opening section we are given the "status quo" that will be disrupted when the plans to expand the city are announced. What is life like in the village?

3. Discuss the things that change after the expansion. What do you notice?

4. We have a character in the opening section--Tinga's father--who will soon disappear (abruptly). What role does he play in the film? What does he represent? Why does he die when he does?

5. Discuss Tinga and his wife, Napoko. What do you notice about them as people? How would you characterize their marriage? Why?

6. How do Tinga and his wife respond to the increasing adversity that they face? Does it cause them to change?

7. The film is certainly asking us to compare the two neighbor families (Tinga and Napoko and their new neighbors, the Tougouris), who are set up as parallel. List the differences.

8. What role does the Tougouris' watchman play?

9. Discuss Yabré, the journalist who is sacked early on in the film. What kind of person is he? What does he represent? What is he after? Is he a heroic figure?

10. Discuss the image of government that we get in this film. How does it compare to the image of governments that we've seen in other films this term?

11. Once again, we see the importance of language as a source of tension/conflict/identity. Come up with some examples of how it's used in this film.

12. We see Tinga's son Tibo making a car out of straw. This car ultimately comes to symbolize something, right? What?

13. Do you notice any scenes in which characters eat and drink? What do these scenes tell us?

14. Discuss the film's portrayal of the media. Does it seem odd to you that the film was financed by the Ministry of Information?

15. Discuss the use of music in the film. What does it tell us about tradition and modernity?

16. Discuss the film's final scene. What happens? What is the filmmaker trying to tell us by ending the film in this way?

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