Didier Florent Ouénangaré (1953–2006) was a film director from the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

,Ouenangaré Didier
Africiné best known for his collaboration with Cameroonian filmmaker

Bassek Ba Kobhio Bassek Ba Kobhio (born 1957) is a Cameroonian filmmaker, writer and founder of the Ecrans Noirs film festival in Yaounde, Cameroon. He is also the Director of the Higher Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Professionals of Central Africa (ISCAC) ...

on '' The Silence of the Forest'', an adaptation of a novel by Étienne Goyémidé.

Life

Ouénangaré was born in

Bambari Bambari is a town in the Central African Republic, lying on the Ouaka River. It has a population of 41,356 (2003 census) and is the capital of Ouaka prefecture. Bambari is an important market town and is home to Bambari Airport, and the Roman ...

. After studying film in

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, ...

in the

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

, he graduated from the

University of Rennes The University of Rennes is a public research university which will be officially reconstituted on 1 January 2023 and located in the city of Rennes, in Upper Brittany, France. The University of Rennes has been divided for almost 50 years, before ...

.Didier Ouénangaré
Quinzaine des réalisateurs ''The Silence of the Forest'' was a project conceived by Ouénangaré, who approached Bassek Ba Kobhio to help find financing. It was written in French and Sango, and filmed in

and

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...

. It tells the story of Gonaba, an African educated in Europe, who decides to return to his homeland, but increasingly realises the impossibility of breaking through stereotypes and genuinely understanding the way of life of the Baka people, the 'people of the forest' whom he pejoratively labels 'pygmies'. Ouénangaré died on 29 September 2006.

Filmography

* '' Le silence de la forêt'' he Silence of the Forest 2003

References

1953 births 2006 deaths Central African Republic film directors People from Ouaka University of Rennes alumni {{Africa-film-director-stub