Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red in it
Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai
WINTER FILM AWARDS 2017 NOMINEE - BEST DIRECTOR
2015
Niger
75 mins
Tamashek
Feature Film Competition
| Christopher Kirkley | |
| Christopher Kirkley, Jerome Fino | |
| Mahamadou Souleymane |
Set against the backdrop of the raucous subculture of Tuareg guitar, ‘Akounak’ tells the universal story of a musician trying to make it against all odds. Musician Mdou Moctar must battle competition from jealous musicians, overcome family conflicts, endure the trials of love, and overcome his biggest rival – himself. Stylistically borrowing from the Western rock-u-drama and a homage to Prince’s 1984 ‘Purple Rain’, the story was written with and for a Tuareg audience, drawing from the experiences of Mdou Moctar and fellow musicians. Carried by stunning musical performances from Mdou, the film is equally a window into modern day Tuareg guitar as it is an experiment in modern ethnographic filmmaking.
About the Director
Christopher Kirkley is a music collector and archivist focused on the Sahel of West Africa. His work examines contemporary popular musics in the evolving technological landscape, the interplay of localized traditions with transglobal influences, and new modes of cultural transmission. He releases records under the label Sahel Sounds and maintains a blog exploring arts and music of the region.
Reviews
A Purple Rain falls in the Sahara Desert – Christopher Kirkley’s feature film debut — Lianna Albrizio, Winter Film Awards
Purple Rain’ Falls on the Sahara in Brilliant African Adaptation – Nick Murray, Rolling Stone
A ‘Purple Rain’ in the Sahara Desert – Steve Dollar, The Wall Street Journal
Guitar Great Mdou Moctar Stars in Niger’s Own Purple Rain – Alan Scherstuhl, The Village Voice
Blue rain with red in it: Purple Rain filmed in a language with no purple – Basia Cummings, The Guardian
Purple Rain in the Saharan Desert – Zach Goldhammer , The Atlantic
Purple Rain’ — As Retold In A Language Without A Word For Purple – All Things Considered, NPR
