Cannes Film Festival: Shot in Togo, "The Soul of Africa" Documentary Premiered on May 19

Culture

Monday, 26 May 2025 14:04

Cannes Film Festival: Shot in Togo, "The Soul of Africa" Documentary Premiered on May 19

(Togo First) - A documentary film shot in Togo, The Soul of Africa, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025, marking the West African nation’s first official participation in the prestigious event.

Directed by Egyptian-Senegalese filmmaker Gabriel Souleykan and co-produced with Acofin Productions, the film was screened at the festival’s Afriques Pavilion. It was filmed during the 10th Festival des Divinités Noires in Glidji and Aného, Togo, in January 2025.

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The Soul of Africa explores pre-colonial African spiritual traditions, highlighting their resilience amid ongoing religious and cultural changes across the continent.

The screening preceded a roundtable focused on preserving Africa’s intangible cultural heritage. The Togolese delegation was led by King Ari Akouvi, King of the Kpessi.

The film’s appearance at Cannes showcased Togo’s natural landscapes and cultural richness. However, it also brought attention to challenges facing the country’s film industry, including financing and developing creative value chains necessary to expand its influence regionally and internationally.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

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ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

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Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

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In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

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