Lex Africana, produced by your production company Shimazu Productions and KEEWU Production (Mediawan Africa), co-produced with Canal+ International and distributed by Mediawan Rights, will be broadcast on CANAL+ Première starting April 22. You created it, you play the lead role, and you are the producer alongside Alexandre Rideau (Keewu).
How do we convince partners, producers, and broadcasters to join such an innovative project?
Seydina BALDE: Simply by highlighting my experience: I had already produced a feature-length action film shot in Hong Kong, which I sold to Lionsgate.
I had expertise that was lacking in Africa, and my skills as a producer convinced CANAL+ and Alexandre Rideau, who was already looking for this kind of project. A few
years ago, I had seen the series SAKHO and MANGANE, which had been produced in Africa by Alexandre with premium quality. I then had the opportunity to shoot in Dakar in 000, an American series, which made me realize that many Senegalese people had the necessary production skills. Based on these observations, I decided it was time to release PAX AFRICANA—which was the original name of the series—featuring a James Bond-style African hero with real substance and featuring real action scenes.
Yet TV channels love romantic series and telenovelas, whereas LEX AFRICANA is an action series.
Alexandre RIDEAU: I am surprised by the preconceived notions about African audiences' tastes. There are few audience studies that provide precise information about what viewers want. A good example is telenovelas. When Côte Ouest began distributing telenovelas, we thought that audiences only liked this type of program, but there were few alternatives available to them. Then small producers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal managed to produce different series, and audiences responded. There is no reason why things in West Africa or French-speaking Africa should be very different from what is happening in South Africa or Nigeria. The real reason why people don't consume this kind of local action series is because they don't exist.
We made it a point of honor to show that it is possible to produce a first series of premium action in Africa, and we hope to win over audiences. Given that ACTION (which pre-purchased the series and will broadcast it in second window) is one of the most watched channels on CANAL, there is no reason why LEX AFRICANA, filmed in Dakar with African actors, should not find its audience.
It is therefore possible to produce a series of high-quality action films in Africa!
Alexandre RIDEAU: With SAKHO AND MANGANE, we started training stunt performers. The material and talent were there, we just needed to invest time, training, and energy to produce premium quality images. With LEX AFRICANA, we pushed the boundaries a little further, and I hope that next time we can include car chases, knife fights, and longer and more numerous fight scenes…
Seydina BALDE: I would like to point out that LEX AFRICANA is a series that will be enjoyed by action lovers, both men and women.
We wanted to ensure that there were strong female characters accompanying our hero. Whether it's his mother, his childhood sweetheart, or Lauren, the humanitarian doctor with whom he forms a bond, these are very powerful women who are at the heart of the story.
Alexandre RIDEAU: Indeed. It is very important for us at Mediawan Africa to produce highly modern works that are far removed from clichés.
How did the filming in DAKAR go?
Seydina BALDE: It was a daily challenge, especially for the action scenes. There are no air-conditioned studios in Dakar like there are in Hong Kong, where you can shoot in any weather. Everything was shot outdoors, on location, between May and October. There are many obstacles to overcome when producing in Africa, and in summer, with the climate, it can sometimes be very complicated. It was a real challenge to produce at that time, but we managed it thanks to everyone's efforts.
Alexandre RIDEAU: We shot sequences lasting more than a minute in half-day sessions, which is a record in itself! Originally, two days of filming were scheduled for each action sequence. For budgetary reasons, we had to reduce the time spent on rehearsals and filming. We can thank Seydina and all the teams for playing along, with their motivation intact!
We often hear that talent exists in Africa and that there is no need to look elsewhere for what is available locally. You have sought out candidates of all nationalities. What need does this fulfill?
Seydina BALDE: You know, I am European myself; I am of African descent, but I was born and raised in France. When I started writing the series and we discussed it with Alexandre, we decided to create a work with international ambition, featuring talents recognized around the world.
We sought out talent, mainly African but not exclusively, who could bring their experience and perspective to the table and raise the series to the highest level. Many are actors I have worked with in the past, and that played a part in the casting decisions.
Alexandre RIDEAU: We are here to help structure the audiovisual industry, and one of the most powerful ways to do this is to bring professionals of all nationalities onto our film sets, because the young people we work with learn so much from them.
Furthermore, at a time when diversity is being discussed extensively around the world, why is this question being raised in Africa? Africa is home to people from all over the world, of all colors and nationalities.
Should an African series only be made with Africans? The answer is no.
It is certainly necessary to produce stories in Africa that are based on African storytelling, with an overwhelming majority of African talent in the technical and artistic teams, but it is also important to have actors and technicians from other cultures.
Will there be a sequel to the six episodes that have been filmed and will soon be broadcast on Canal+ Première?
Seydina BALDE: Yes, LEX AFRICANA has an open ending. We have, of course, planned a sequel. We hope to see Gabriel Thiam again in future seasons.
Alexandre RIDEAU: One could imagine that LEX AFRICANA is a kind of prequel that depicts the birth of a hero, an African hero.
The first six episodes set the scene and introduce the characters, and from the end of the sixth episode onwards, the saga begins. We can imagine episodes spanning time and space, covering a wide range of themes across the continent. He is a vigilante who comes to right wrongs. We will explore all these avenues.
Do you intend to distribute this series internationally?
Seydina BALDE: Mediawan Rights, which distributes the series worldwide, strongly believes in the project, and international versions are in the works. This is a series that will travel, perhaps even beyond the African continent. For English-speaking countries, too, this will be the first time they will see a French-language series of this caliber. It's very interesting for future collaborations.
Alexandre RIDEAU:Lex Africana perfectly embodies the synergies that are developing within the Mediawan group in support of projects.
SAKHO and MANGANE had already been successful internationally and in English-speaking countries. In 2018, we wanted to show an African series that used American codes. With LEX AFRICANA, we set our sights elsewhere: it's a series that is very Senegalese in its DNA. It's not an "American" series, but we hope that, given its quality, it will work internationally.