Alexandre Rideau is the CEO of Senegalese production company Keewu. Founded in Senegal in 2012, Keewu joined French group Lagardère Studio in October 2015. Since 2020, Keewu has been part of the Mediawan group, which acquired Lagardère Studios.
Producer of the famous series "C'est la vie" and "Wara," Alexandre Rideau recently made a name for himself with the production of Sakho & Mangane, a 100% African police series, the result of a co-production with CANAL+.
In this interview with Adweknow, he shares his current vision of audiovisual production on the African continent, its evolution, and his outlook for 2022.
What is your vision of the audiovisual production sector today? What is the assessment of the last few years?
There are many positive things to say about the evolution and development of the sector. Even if some consider that this growth is still slow, it is nevertheless very real. When we look at how far we have come between 2015 and today, the development of the sector is still incredible!
In 2015, if we had been told that there would be series such as "Mami Wata," "Sakho et Mangane," "Manjak," and "Wara"
in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, no one would have believed it. Yet these series have come into being despite limited funding, as the market is still young.
It is important to highlight that the ecosystem is taking shape and that many talents are emerging. We have a new generation of highly talented artists, screenwriters, technicians, and directors. At Keewu, as in the Mediawan group, we believe in the creativity and power of the talents we recruit and support by placing them at the heart of our development.
This is mainly because there are more and more shoots, and they are becoming more formal. Real production expertise is developing and crystallizing in cities such as Abidjan, Dakar, and Ouagadougou. In audiovisual production, we are moving from "artisanal" production to more professional, more structured production. This can be seen in the content, in the quality of the projects broadcast, from writing to post-production. We are starting to see real quality projects.
This first wave of talent needs to be refined and the effort must continue, as demonstrated by these new initiatives. I hope that local authorities will very soon see the potential that audiovisual production offers in terms of employment.
Keewu trains and supports these new talents. Thanks to support from CFI and OIF, which enables us to train screenwriters and technicians and give them jobs on our film sets, with the Marrakech School of Visual Arts (ESAV) or soon with new partners such as the Kourtrajmé school, which has just opened in Dakar with Toumani Sangaré, or Alain Gomis' Yenennga center
. Beyond the model of co-productions with major TV channels, are we seeing the emergence of new models?
Indeed, there are several models today, but above all there is a "West African" model for the French-speaking part, which is currently being established, as there was expertise developed in Nigeria 20 years ago. A West African industry is emerging. Each production is financed in a completely different way, regardless of the quality and popularity of the productions.
Even if we take a different model, such as Marodi TV, which has focused on digital, it is just as impressive. The projects have greatly improved in quality.
You mention "popularity." How are these productions received by African audiences? Are they gaining visibility? Are they more successful internationally?
These productions are increasingly appealing to audiences. In terms of visibility, it's still in its infancy. "Sakho et Mangane" led the way, "Wara" is broadcast in the United States, "Cacao" in North America… We are gaining visibility with our own ecosystem. Even if we are still lagging behind, the rest of the world is not waiting! I hope that in a few years' time we will have lessons to share with producers around the world.
Digital platforms are coming… How do you see this arrival?
Digital platforms are still in their infancy in terms of their development in the French-speaking world. But this will naturally intensify. As in the rest of the world, the arrival of these platforms will provide a sounding board for talented individuals, who will be able to express themselves more fully and gain greater visibility. This is a very good thing. Let's also hope that similar initiatives will be launched from the continent itself, as well as from Europe.
I still believe that the moment when there will be a real global shift towards African production will be when initiatives to finance or support projects come from the continent itself.
Where are you with your own projects?
After the success of three seasons of "C'est la vie," we are already planning a fourth season! A season that should go into production soon. A new season means big changes with even more innovative episodes! If all goes well, filming should start this summer.
What can we expect in the coming years?
Obviously, everyone would have liked to see rapid growth in the sector in 2021 and to be able to watch content produced with similar resources to South Africa or Turkey. We're not there yet, but we have to look at how far we've come! We used to talk about productions costing €5,000-10,000, but today we've changed our reality. The underlying trend is significant and positive. When you experience it from the inside, you see things changing.