Delwende

In Burkina Faso, as in many other African countries filled with archaic traditions, the customs of the forefathers still function as the local law book. In the countryside, inexplicable deaths are often blamed on so-called soul eaters. These are the women, suspect because of their occult and evil powers, who are thought to have the deaths on their conscience. Delwende is a contemporary drama that is based on the true story of one of these women. When a child dies of meningitis in a village, Napoko Diarha is accused of having eaten a soul. While it is clear that her own husband is behind the accusation, she doesn’t have a chance. He feels dishonoured because Napoko offered resistance to their daughter being married off. When Napoko has to stand trial, her fate is in the hands of the council of elders. She flees to a shelter in Ouagadougou. While her powers seem to fade, her proud and strong daughter undertakes a journey on foot to the town to find her mother and support her. Reminiscent of Ousmane Sembene’s work, Delwende is the story of a mother and daughter who is in danger of succumbing to traditional practices hostile to women and based on superstition. Only great inner willpower, courage and luck make it possible for them to escape from the arbitrary punishment of a society dominated by men. (SdH)

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