Samantha Biffot is the creator of Mami Wata, le mystère d'Iveza, an eight-episode Gabonese television series, each episode lasting fifty-two minutes, co-produced by CANAL+ International.
On October 22, the series received the silver trophy at FESPACO in the "Series" category.
What are the strengths of the series?
The series is a clever mix of crime drama and fantasy, which is what makes it so powerful. It is built around an investigation into a disappearance against a mystical backdrop embodied by the character of Mami Wata, who looms large over the entire story.
Did you encounter any obstacles while filming the series?
We encountered a number of difficulties during the creation and production of this series, which was filmed in Gabon. In fact, it was the most challenging project I've ever had to do. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, we had to postpone filming. This delay meant that we had to shoot the series in the middle of the rainy season, in more than 50 locations, half of which were not accessible by paved road. So every day was a real challenge to reach the different locations and shoot the scenes. Torrential and unpredictable rains, car breakdowns, vehicles stuck in the mud, but low tides… We also shot sequences near the sea, which made us dependent on the tides.
Here's an anecdote to keep with the mystical theme: we had a very important scene to shoot, but unfortunately, once again, we were blocked by the rain. We had to shoot in a very majestic location, but due to time constraints, we had to shoot that day no matter what. There was lightning flashing all over the sky. One of the technicians told us not to worry, that it wouldn't rain because he himself had the power to "block" the rain. To do this, he decided to light a fire and perform some incantations to counter the storm. Despite the thunder and the deafening sounds of the storm, we managed to finish filming, and once we were under cover, the torrential rain poured down. A magical phenomenon that happened a second time during filming…
You won an award at Fespaco in the "series" category. What did you think of this latest edition?
Looking back on this latest edition of FESPACO, I can say that we generally felt the contribution of the new director general, Alex Moussa Sawadogo. We were more impressed than ever, in a good way, by the official selection in all categories, whether short films, documentaries, or series. This selection was a guarantee of quality, and several projects made their mark on the major film festival circuits this year.
Looking ahead to the next five years, how do you hope to see the audiovisual production sector evolve in French-speaking Africa?
In the next five years, I would like to see an audiovisual sector that is structured and strengthened. The sector is still very fragile, even non-existent in some areas of the continent. I am thinking in particular of Gabon, the country I come from… I hope that in five years' time, industry players will have the capacity to produce film projects on a regular basis, creating a sustainable environment for technicians. I hope they will be able to move from one shoot to another and thus become more professional, so that they can make a living from these large-scale, funded projects.
How will Mami Wata be distributed?
The first episode will be broadcast on November 15, 2021, on CANAL+ Afrique.