Toussaint Tiendrebeogo was responsible for cultural and creative industry development policies at the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) and is now Head of the Cultural Diversity Unit and Secretary of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Science, and Culture (UNESCO).
We have just attended the presentation of your report, which was compiled using data from all African countries. Is this initiative, which was set up with Netflix to revive short films based on African tales, one of the conclusions of this report?
was designed primarily to enable policy makers and filmmakers to develop informed strategies based on data from the field. The study did indeed show that there was a need to create an environment that would stimulate creativity, support young talent, and strengthen their skills. The project we had with Netflix is precisely one of the concrete applications of the proposals in this report.
This report was indeed a catalyst for the establishment of this partnership with Netflix, with the aim of enabling young creators to flourish and supporting them in their creative endeavors and access to a much more international market.
Ms. Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, said during the presentation of the report to the press that she was satisfied with this initiative with Netflix. Will this lead to a second season
?
Our idea is to present the results of this program, which will consist of 10 short films that will be broadcast on Netflix. I have no doubt that the quality of these works will make it possible to consider a sequel, allowing other young talents to blossom thanks to the cultural partnership between UNESCO and Netflix
. This partnership with Netflix is a first, but are you considering working with other operators such as CANAL+, which has a strong presence in Africa?
What emerged very clearly from the report is that the training needs are enormous. There will therefore never be enough partnerships to meet the professional training needs of young talent in Africa. The more partnerships we have to develop talent, the better it will be for the development of this sector. This is to say that there is effectively no exclusivity and that everything is open.
Have you already committed to other development ideas with different players?
Yes, partnership projects are underway with other partners, but it is a little too early to talk about them. I will leave it to my colleagues who are in charge of the partnership to make the announcements.