Let's talk about the CACAO series. A few months after its launch, what is your assessment?
The series has been a huge hit with the public, and that's what matters most. The feedback on social media, in the media, and in conversations has been extremely positive. Of course, there are things that could have been improved or done differently, but its authenticity was the key to its success, thanks first and foremost to the original idea developed by Yolande Bogui and the writers, and then to the entire production and directing team, particularly Alex Ogou. CANAL+'s tremendous promotional support also helped the series in a way that is rare for African fiction. This is a first, and I am convinced that there will be others, starting with CACAO 2.
What is the budget for such a fiction project? What were the sources of funding?
It is one of the highest budgets in the region. As you can see on screen, the series was largely shot on location, or in beautiful residences when we were at the Desvas' or the Ahiteys'. The cast is very rich. There are about 40 sequences per 50-minute episode. All of this is expensive, especially over seven and a half months, given that we weren't blessed with good weather while the team was in the Nawa region in western Ivory Coast and that we experienced two tragedies. But everyone saw it through to the end and we secured the funding no matter what, with the essential support of CANAL+, as well as CFI and OIF.
What are the keys to the success of African fiction today? What stories work, what genres?
There is no single recipe. We see popular series that are a hit in Senegal and are exported across the continent. In each country, and particularly in Côte d'Ivoire, similar series are enjoying great success, with a less risky economy than CACAO, but a balance that is no easier to find. English-language productions are fortunate to have much larger markets in which to be profitable.
In terms of genre or stories, there is no single rule either. I just think that one of the keys is authenticity.
How do you see the evolution of audiovisual production in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa?
There is a great dynamic, even if the foundations are fragile. The sector lacks professional training at all levels: for writers above all, but also for technicians (outside Burkina Faso), for producers, and finally for institutions.
Obviously, the sector lacks funding. But this is mainly due to the relative smallness of the market. As long as these productions cannot be exported beyond the sub-continent, they will remain underfunded. Hence the gamble we are taking with high-end projects which, we hope, will appeal to broadcasters or platforms and then to new audiences around the world.
You are currently working on new projects. What can you tell us about them?
We are making good progress on the development of a crime series (8×45' for season 1) created by Ray Reboul, in co-production with CINEKITA Ci. We are aiming to start filming in the first half of 2021. CACAO 2 has been launched. Two other projects are under discussion, but our partners and/or authors and ourselves need time so as not to take on too many projects.
Read also: Francophone African production: current situation and prospects