On a le temps pour nous (2019) - full transcript
Upper Volta, August 1983.
A socialist revolution led by
Captain Thomas Sankara takes control.
The country is renamed Burkina Faso.
The new president
frantically implements reforms
which culminate in his assassination
on October 1987,
at the hands of Blaise Compaoré,
his long-term associate.
A dictatorship takes over.
It goes on to last 27 years.
On October 2014,
Blaise Compaoré’s regime is overturned
by a country of young people who
adhere to Sankara’s legacy.
Rapper, Smockey, a founding member
of the Balai Citoyen movement,
is at the forefront
of the anti-Compaoré dispute.
He embodies a generation
driven by Thomas Sankara’s ideology.
The slave who cannot struggle
for his emancipation
doesn't deserve our empathy.
Only fighting sets you free.
Smockey does not surrender.
A long time ago, from far away.
Smockey never surrenders.
Smockey's here again.
Always there,
when and where you need him.
Always there,
especially in times of discontent.
Smockey never surrenders
No one must ever surrender
No one must ever surrender
No longer will we all surrender
We must never surrender
Four: The bling bling are in control
Five: Social climbers have the monopoly
Six: They think their status symbols
will earn them respect
like in the Capitol
That's not the way it works
Respect comes at a price
Your possessions will lobotomize you
Your car won't earn you respect
Some people chase after brands and bling
always wanting to obey
unable to bear their pathetic existence
The weak must pay
for their insignificance
Do you think
you're worth your education?
Now you're the one with the balls
If the solution depends
on the equation
Submission depends on the position
Smockey never surrenders
No one must surrender
No one must surrender.
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE
Good evening.
How are you?
How are you?
- I'm fine.
Ho!
How are you, bro?
I saw you...
- Are you well?
Respect.
We're here.
We really didn't want to carry on
but, in the end...
We were greeting people.
I dedicate this award
to all those who fought,
to all those great fighters:
Lumumba, Thomas Sankara.
And I hope with all my heart
that our current leaders
will not trample on
the legacy that we were left
all the way
to the Pantheon of pointlessness.
These aren't my headphones.
You're used to the other ones.
- Yes, I am.
This slavery is political
Migration is a dead end
Far from yourself,
far from your rights
Never forget
you have a home to go back to
Shall we begin?
- Yes.
This slavery is political
Migration is a dead end
Far from yourself,
far from your rights
Never forget
you have a home to go to.
One more take?
- One more, yes.
Listen to that!
I missed my queue.
Go ahead.
This slavery is political
Migration is a dead end...
Let's take it from the top.
It's good, it's getting there.
AFTER THE REVOLT NOW VOTE
I think it's here...
Hold on, I might be talking rubbish.
It's here.
The fragments are there.
Sankara's grave was
somewhere around here.
That piece says:
"President, head of State."
Sankara's grave.
His associates were buried nearby.
They were also buried with him.
Thirteen.
Something strange,
a funny coincidence...
Maria, my elder sister,
died in October 1983,
the year when Sankara became
the President of Upper Volta,
which was later to become Burkina Faso.
Sankara died in October 1987
and he's buried in the same cemetery.
Strange coincidence.
I wasn't even aware of that.
We've not even done half of what...
... many freedom fighters
like Le Che or Sankara have done
or Nasser and all those people,
Modibo Keïta,
to a lesser extent.
They all contributed
to our dignities.
So, we have the opportunity
to make change a reality
if we look upon our past
without making excuses.
I saw a popular surge
of Burkina Faso citizens,
a united movement, a resurgence
of dignity, of determination
like we haven't seen for many years,
being exerted throughout the whole land.
And even drawing on their resources
to fight the putschists
who wanted
to ruin our revolution.
That is a revolution.
It's just that
then you can say whatever you want.
Some say:
"The mountain brought forth a mouse."
Some say that it's not a revolution
in terms of what happened next.
But, in that case, wouldn't we say
that the 1789 French Revolution
brought forth an empire
led by Napoleon Bonaparte?
I consider all this
as a transition phase.
The new civilian government has been
in power for two and a half years.
We have the chance
to see the process through,
including elections in 2020.
What I say is,
to succeed, you must believe.
First you believe
and then it's possible.
The killers are lying
in the first houses
close to the entrance barrier
and in the bushes lining the paths.
A grenade rips apart the leading car.
Olympe Bamouni,
the President's chief of press,
Fréderic Ziembé, legal advisor,
are killed instantly.
Sankara and nine guards
manage to take refuge
in a nearby house.
Lying face down in the corridor,
they retaliate.
But the house is surrounded.
An offensive hand grenade
is thrown inside.
An injured Sankara says:
"It's pointless,
they're looking for me."
He stands up calmly
and heads towards the door.
His body is ripped apart
by Kalashnikov fire.
The killers invade the house,
shooting everyone in sight.
Manna of creation,
put an end to our curse
of sad reflection
of the hopelessness
at the dawn of our lives.
May the dawn avenge
our Hottentot Venuses.
We're ready, soldiers.
Here are my words
as a lowly troubadour.
Whatever happens,
we are the heirs of
people like Norbert Zongo,
of people like Thomas Sankara,
of people like Joseph Ki Zerbo,
of people like Dabo Boukary,
etc, etc...
The list is long.
But we'll never be followers
of people like Blaise Compaoré,
people like François Compaoré,
people like Djibril Bassolé,
people like...
General Diendéré.
People like...
There are so many.
Our ancestors are our witnesses.
Lies will be torn apart.
The fact is, we must all go through it,
we're all going to die.
May everyone weigh their conscience.
If it's a worthy fight,
may they continue it!
If it's not a worthy fight,
may they disregard it.
One thing is for sure,
as we've always said,
Thomas Sankara is still our pioneer.
On this day on October 15 1987,
it has now been 30 years
that the justice system has been
unable to serve justice.
Somebody born that way,
who devoted his life
to fulfilling his dream.
Today, our responsibility is to ensure
that this dream becomes reality
here in Faso.
Sankara's dream must be fulfilled.
"Dare to invent the future."
These are not just words.
I want to invite to the stage
someone who has revolutionized
and contributed a lot to Burkinabe rap
and to music in general
and who no longer needs an introduction.
I'd like to invite to the stage,
the man they call Smockey!
Good evening.
Are you well?
- Yes, I'm fine.
Good evening, are you well?
Greetings, are you well?
No, you see,
how many years has it been?
There are some lyrics
that you remember but I don't
and lyrics I remember and you don't.
Yes, inevitably.
You had your favorite lyrics too.
Everything that was...
What was it called?
Just Cool Rap.
No, Just for War.
We used to rap in English...
It wasn't our thing.
Then Smockey says:
"Hold on, your phonetics are wrong!"
And he starts writing his lyrics.
- That's true!
"This is the story of a goat
who goes out one day to vote."
It's crappy, but people get it!
- Exactly!
That's an old one!
Was there as much political activity?
Upper Volta's
first democratic elections were held.
The UPV!
Yes, but the most well-known ones...
The country was divided.
There was the UNDD-RDA.
That was back
when Félix Houphouët Boigny
carried some weight in the region.
In the end, I think
the African Democratic party won.
Back then people called me "Mr. Deputy."
Because I was so interested
in these political issues:
The UNDD, the RDA,
or not the RDA or the UNDD...
This was the first democratic election
to be held in Upper Volta.
At the time of Blaise's CDP,
they tell you:
"If you want to vote,
"put a tick next to Blaise
and stick your slip in the envelope."
What if you don't want
to vote for Blaise?
"In that case, put a line through Blaise
"and stick it in the envelope."
You were screwed!
Explain that to the people.
In both cases, you've voted for Blaise.
That's why we're forced
to use elephants and lions as symbols.
That was before.
It was before?
It's still like that now.
We need to introduce a scale system
so people can find their way around it.
We say: "This is what we call
"the minimum IQ of the masses."
If we don't reach this level of IQ,
let's not even mention democracy!
You say that these people
must have a certain IQ level.
That's bullshit!
Between 80% and 90%
of intellectuals have resigned.
On the other hand, these know-it-alls
are the closest enemies...
They're the closest friends
of these dictatorial regimes!
The closest friends
of this repressive system,
this system that locks everything down.
Those people work harder
to maintain the system
than the peasants
who understand everything
but have no way of taking action.
Despite not having this information,
these guys are far more objective
and far more realistic
than all these pseudo-intellectuals
who went to school,
useless idiots who are
up to their eyes in diplomas.
That's the reality.
We've set fire to the Assembly.
We've set fire to the Assembly.
It's over.
With fire you can burn everything,
you can wipe everything away .
They call me Smoke.
They call me Smoke.
Some people even say I'm crazy.
But I couldn't care less.
They say I'm crazy
because I talk to myself.
But in fact, I don't.
I'm talking to my buddy,
my friend, my confident.
His name is Blaise.
I tell him everything
but he doesn't say much.
He wants to make me think
that his mind is working.
One night, he wanted
to introduce me to a friend.
I think his name was Sankara.
This guy was neurotic, a real wacko,
a guy who always has
something to say,
even when there's nothing to say.
So, I said to Blaise:
"I like your friend, but...
"He talks too much.
"He also thinks too much.
"I think he goes too far.
"Let me speak to him
with the weight of my experience."
So, I encourage him.
Not too much.
Since that day,
I've never seen him again.
Another night, he wanted
to introduce me to another friend.
Zongo.
I said:
"Blaise, let me stop you right there.
"Every time you introduce someone to me,
"I never see him again."
So, when he persisted
with his famous Mr. Article 37,
I said: "Stop!"
But too late.
Now it's Blaise who I don't see anymore.
My wounds aren't healing.
My wounds aren't closing up.
My wounds are half-open,
coming apart and oozing pus,
stinking out the mascara.
Throughout the whole show,
before the fall of Blaise,
I mean, when we were performing
in front of the audience,
you felt this sense
of tension,
giving you the impression that...
In fact, it felt like we were in...
People were afraid,
they were afraid
when they were watching you.
They were afraid
that something might suddenly happen.
I think it was also very daring.
Very daring to call out the name
of the President in a show
while he's still in power
and accuse him of certain serious acts.
It's daring to do that within a show.
All day, the riot police
have been hunting down young people
and Balai Citoyen members.
So, it was very heated!
They're each devising a strategy
to hold out as long as possible
as the objective was to camp out
in the area surrounding
the Rond Point des Nations Unies,
in order to wait
in front of the Assembly.
All night, it was heating up
and, around 6 PM,
I was on the Place de la Révolution
and Boukary le Lion was there
talking to the crowd
and struggling to contain them.
Hundreds of riot police were
ready to charge.
I was asked to address the crowd.
I had to go up there
and explain to people.
In the end,
despite many difficulties, it worked.
We said: "It's not avoidance, it's taking
a step back to come back stronger."
"We'll all return to the
Place de la Révolution tomorrow.
"And with strength of will,
we'll succeed."
Many people started
to agree with this approach
and they started leaving the site.
That's when my telephone rings.
It was the playwright
giving me a roasting:
"You're being unprofessional.
"People are waiting,
the play should've started...
"We're an hour late!
"You're not here.
You've missed the sound check."
I said:
"Are you aware of what's going on?"
"No, I don't want to know.
"A professional keeps things
separate, etc."
It was such a big deal!
If my reality had met fiction,
her fiction hadn’t met any reality.
It wasn't yet within her reach.
She hadn't understood...
Later, she understood
the severity of the situation.
It was true rebellion of the people.
It was serious business.
It was hard for her to believe
that everything we'd experienced
and created on the stage
was happening right in front
of our eyes. She was blind.
Few people really believe that culture
comes before change.
Beyond being the change itself.
They say that because it sounds good
but they don't believe it.
And yet...
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
We haven't slept for a week.
We've fueled rebellion
in every neighborhood
and on the UN roundabout
and the Place de la Révolution.
This morning we set off
from the Rond Point du 2 Octobre,
we rallied people
to do the rounds and come back here
to force the riot police
to let us through.
At some point, the Army will be
with us and they have to.
ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF OFFICE
We need political commitment
We need leaders
who go further than cash
Who go further for Africa
We need leaders who see further
We need leaders who have...
We need political commitment
We need to take risks
We need someone to take risks,
we need political commitment.
Something like that.
As soon as the kids saw Smockey,
they came to him.
That's sweet!
Hi, kids.
How's it going?
Come say hello to your uncle!
- Come say hello to me.
Say hi to your uncle.
How are you?
Sweet!
Fist bump.
Gimme a fist bump!
Our country or death?
Our country or death?
- We shall win.
Not loud enough!
Our country or death?
We shall win!
- That's it!
That sounds more determined.
What did we have previously
with the Balai Citoyen?
We had strong words and actions.
Lots of people believed
in the Balai Citoyen's message.
Wasn't the revolution a strong action?
- No, I mean before that.
You were able to rally
lots of Burkinabe citizens
and even beyond that.
We were expecting something better.
With the revolution.
At least, after the fateful day
of the revolution.
Whether or not I want to be,
I'm a leader.
Some consider me to be a leader.
So, I don't want to send
people's children to the slaughter.
I'm no expert in politics.
That's the last thing we should do.
After trying everything else.
I'm no expert.
When we protested
to get the Army on our side,
the next day,
Balai supporters came.
They surrounded the military.
They said
that they were going to force entry.
You were there, weren't you?
- Yes, I was there.
We were there with megaphones.
What happened?
We were walking around,
and we heard
that all the Army generals are inside,
they were having a powwow.
We exchanged words and said:
"What shall we do?
"Isn't it better to speak to them?"
So we did.
And they told us
they can guarantee
that Blaise will resign
and they'll secure it,
everything we asked for.
I said: "In the meantime,
who'll be in charge of operations?"
In the interim.
They had to decide
who should be in charge.
I'm not talking about a transition.
I’m pointing out
the basic functions of an army.
The Army defends the people!
They must face up to
their responsibility to defend the people
until the people make a decision.
This is all that we saw,
in all our naivety!
The soldiers weren't left in peace.
With Kalashnikovs!
They say it's up to us to protect them.
"What?
Soldiers can protect themselves!"
They say: "No."
If we don't protect them,
they don't know
what can happen in the crowd.
So we, members of the Balai,
surrounded the guys
to protect them
and get them to the Place de la Nation.
To address the people.
My bro Sans'k came to see me and said:
"Smockey, is it OK
if we stand with them?"
I said: "You know,
we must take responsibility.
"This is our commitment.
"Let's do what we have to
and then move on."
They just dropped everything.
they made their announcement,
they filmed it.
That's how
the Balai Citoyen sold the revolution.
At one point,
it was a chaotic and urgent situation.
We had to be on the ground.
Whenever the situation commanded it,
we were there.
Even when we smelled a rat, we were there.
Even if there were only ten of us.
But the message in your lyrics
was more convincing.
That's not true.
- It is.
More convincing than which lyrics?
I don't know.
What's the most recent album you've heard?
Which album?
I always stick to the same themes, man.
I don't change.
Until proven otherwise,
on each show, I say:
"Was the government in place now
voted in by popular consensus, yes or no?
"Is it here as a result
of transparent elections?
"Did the Burkinabe people elect it?"
Yes.
- So, it's legitimate!
Why do you want me to hit the streets
and whip up a second revolution?
We wanted
things to be done democratically
and Burkinabe people have the right
to choose their own president,
their representative
for no more than two terms.
That's what we have today.
In 2020,
those who aren't happy will have a vote.
They'll vote for someone else.
Betrayal of the rebellious mind
Democracy belongs to us all
Security measures
- Misconduct
Incompetence
- Poor leadership
The putsch trial...
Listen, he says:
"Colonial mentality.
"You're a colonial man.
"You were once a slave.
"You've already been set free
"but you've never set yourself free.
"Exactly.
"They do all that.
"They even exaggerate what they do.
Exactly.
"That's why they think that
they're better than their brothers."
"That's right.
"They don't like their own.
"They prefer outsiders.
That's right.
"They sit in air-conditioned rooms
"and they're far from their homeland.
"That's right.
"The judge puts on his wig
and sentences his brother to jail.
"That's right.
"They're proud of their names
while they take the names of slaves.
"That's right.
"Colonial mentality.
Listen to me!
"Colonial mentality.
"Mr. Ransome, listen to me.
"Mr. Guillaume, listen to me.
"Mr. Mohamed, listen to me.
"Mr. Anglican..."
They're talking about you.
Mr. Mohamed, that's you!
"Mr. Anglican, listen to me.
"Mr. Catholic, listen to me.
"We're still in Africa,
"so listen to me."
I'll bet it's great.
The needle needs to go
much further along.
That's so fucking old.
I remember that.
Dad used to dance to that
on our terrace.
The Horoya Band's second concert.
That's old music.
It needs moving on a little.
Sir.
You were born around 1938 in Bondigui.
You're 44 years old, Voltaic.
You're an economic affairs advisor
and a Samandin resident.
You're a Gounghin resident, married
and the father of seven children.
You've never been sentenced.
My father was offered
the job of minister
at least twice.
He refused each time.
The third time,
Sankara and Blaise came to the house
to offer it to him
and he accepted.
As soon as he accepted
the minister's job,
anonymous letters were written, etc.
So, he was brought before the TPR,
the Popular Revolutionary Tribunals,
to be judged.
He was under house arrest
for almost two years.
He was given food to eat at home.
And then he was found not guilty.
The problem is, it really affected him.
It broke him, in fact.
After that, he didn't want to work
in government anymore.
He went back to his job at the ECOWAS
before eventually retiring.
And then he died.
But all this broke him.
It broke his family.
So, they blamed...
For a big part of the family,
Sankara was to blame for this.
That's why it's difficult to understand
why I'm a Sankara supporter.
For me, that's not the problem.
I don't want to look through
my own little individual prism,
I want to look through
a collective prism.
And I want to believe
in this man's humanity
in terms of his actions,
the ambitions he had for his country
and the integrity he represents
right up to the present day.
He didn't serve his own interests.
And that's enough to give me faith
in the human initiative
that he planned to launch.
The rest of it is political games.
He had to turn a blind eye
to certain things.
Beyond that...
He's still a great man.
I lived in the Zone du Bois,
it's not a small neighborhood,
it's swanky.
Daddy's boys, daddy's girls...
I was only surrounded
by people like that.
They tried everything to control me,
but failed.
Even my father
has never been able to control me.
Thinking about it,
I'm quite proud of that.
My father didn't understand.
He can't understand
that his son can be calm one minute
and then straight out with it the next.
And everyone stays calm.
I don't know.
I've never felt comfortable
in that world.
Perhaps because, in some way,
I had a wider outlook.
There's nothing special
about material wealth.
There were some remarkable things
for someone of my age, but...
Something wasn't right,
something about these people
didn't ring true.
Because, they lived in an environment
that they knew inside out,
that they pretended not to see,
because they were
only interested in their own.
When I look
at what these people have become today,
that's what I hate the most.
I don't envy them at all.
Even though I'm far from home,
I have rights
And just like you, I have rights
And it's the same blood flowing
in you and me
In you and me.
"Even though I'm far from home,
I have rights.
"Yes, just like you.
Yes."
I prefer:
"And just like you."
Yes, just like you...
- No, the "yes" isn't a long note.
You're insisting to someone
that you have rights and he's surprised.
"Yes, like you, I have rights too."
Yes, like you I have rights
instead of "and just like you."
And it's the same blood flowing
in you and me
In you and in me.
"See, I have rights!"
I heard a real African, man.
That was no honky.
See, I have rights!
- Exactly!
Or we can sing it
to a Patrick Bruel tune.
And if I'm far away from my rights,
I have a home...
"And if I'm far away from my rights,
I have a home."
If I'm ever far away from my rights,
I can always stay at home.
Where I'm respected.
Frantz Fanon said
that man on earth is nothing
if he's not slave to a cause,
the cause of the people,
the cause of justice,
the cause of freedom.
The same Frantz Fanon said
that it's up to each generation
to find their mission,
accomplishing it or betraying it.
Our leaders have betrayed us.
I think that many of our leaders
don't even know they're on a mission!
They don't yet know
that they're on a mission.
But what I also wanted to say,
is that migrants are also being betrayed
in a way.
It takes courage
to face up to all this danger.
It takes courage
to accept all this suffering.
But, at the same time,
whatever people may say,
it's also a form of cowardice.
We must be honest.
If you had the capacity
to bear all this suffering
to get to the other side,
to cross the Mediterranean,
you can stay and fight with us here,
so we can change the country.
Paradise is not Las Vegas,
it's not Paris,
it's not Hong Kong
or any of the places we see on TV.
Paradise is here in Burkina Faso.
Always searching for tomorrow
Sentenced to poverty,
I hold out my hand to you
Here, it's rough & tough
and if you want profit
You must fight to put food on the table
Here, it's Babylon, Baghdad, Islamabad
No laws, no faith,
here there is no God
When we say we're together,
we're in the shit
We're in it together,
all in the shit
We're slaving, rhyming, not bragging
We deal here, we kill here,
there are no bonuses here
If you're weak, you're dead
There's no crime here
When you sleep, you're dead
There are no dreams here
Hey family, what do you say?
What are we looking for?
We're waiting for a lifeline
from God or his prophet
Waiting for it all,
nobody knows what we're waiting for
But we're waiting
Anyhow, we have the time
They have the cash
but we have the time
Fine wheels
Fine women
They have the watches
but we have the time
They have the cash
Fine wheels
Fine women
The wheel isn't turning,
somebody jammed it
Someone's having fun
rolling the fucking dice
Someone's having fun
Someone's having fun
rolling the fucking dice
The wheel isn't turning,
somebody jammed it
Someone's having fun
rolling the fucking dice
Someone's on their way to
Kosyam Palace...
Is politics a game?
- No!
Is it a game?
- No!
It's on the people's shoulders.
If you want to speak
in French or in Moore, feel free!
You have the floor tonight.
You'll point out problems
and together, we'll find the solutions.
If you have anything to say.
What's the problem
with the roads in Karpala?
What solutions can we suggest?
And above all, how can we mobilize
for Karpala?
From Karpala to Rayongo,
everything has been sold.
The section at the back
has been handed over to bigwigs
who are building
apartment blocks and shops.
The hospital septic tanks
have been there barely two weeks.
They're in the open air
and, when you walk past, it stinks.
Can you imagine
this hospital's wastewater
flowing through a whole neighborhood?
I was planning to ask the mayor here
but, as you can see,
he isn't here tonight.
I was passing by
and I saw the audience sitting here.
I stopped to find out
what was happening.
I heard you discussing
our neighborhood.
Wherever you go, people are discussing
our neighborhood, Karpala.
When it rains in Karpala,
you pray to God
that even your worst enemy
doesn't have to go there.
Last time, my six meters of tarmac here
was turned into the Tanghin Barrage.
On Friday, an old man
wearing his white prayer gown,
wanted to pass by
and he fell into the water.
When I saw that, I cried.
Apparently, we have a local mayor,
but he does nothing for us.
In return for our votes,
he promised to resolve the problems.
We voted for him and he took power.
But he only looks after his own
and we suffer.
We should've stayed home on election day
and let him fend for himself.
What's the point of voting
when you get up the day after
to find desolation?
We know it's not an easy country,
but you must keep your promises
in the name of your ancestors!
That's all I have to say.
You know,
we must change.
Putting on the pressure is good,
but nothing has happened yet.
You must be the politicians,
you must go into politics.
You must be the mayors,
there's no competition.
Those people have no faith.
It's the same old parties
that have been there forever.
They're old parties.
They're old crocodiles.
You must chase them away!
You must agree to take
your destiny into your own hands.
The young guy said it earlier.
He said: "We've fought,
we've put up barricades,
"but we're not ready,
the neighborhood must change."
You must learn how to elect people
in your neighborhood,
people who are aware of your problems.
Not people who've come from elsewhere.
People who've already done
something for the neighborhood.
In any case, citizens from the zone.
If they sort things out,
it's good for them too.
But here people from I don't know where,
who are elected as mayors and
we don't even know how they got there.
And they do nothing!
Because they refuse
to meddle in politics.
You must meddle in politics!
We're here as citizens,
so, we also have the right
to be concerned about public issues.
Someone said to me:
"We must take responsibility."
That's taking responsibility!
There are young people,
people with potential
who can change
this neighborhood in one year.
What has this government done
in almost three years?
They say they've done a lot,
but it's almost nothing.
They're old crocodiles!
That's also the truth!
We need people who aren't afraid.
We need commitment to change things.
I want to talk about this commitment.
And you need it
to make sacrifices for others.
Those people don't have it.
Against the humiliating bondage
of a thousand years
Rapacity came from afar
to subjugate them
for a hundred years
Against the cynical malice
in the shape of neo-colonialism
and its petty local servants
Many gave in
and certain others resisted
But the frustrations,
the successes, the sweat, the blood
Have fortified our courageous people
and fertilized its heroic struggle...
Security measures
Misconduct.
- Incompetence
Poor leadership.
- The putsch trial...
Things have been slightly sorted out,
victories have been possible,
there's no reason for it to stop there.
These victories must continue.
And with them, they'll bring
their share of changes in mentality.
People will ultimately realize
that nothing is already predestined,
the dice have not been cast.
And once they've been cast,
we can cast them again.
We can reconfigure the game.
And it'll all be OK.
Each person
will approach things critically.
I believe in that, I feel that.
When I exchange views with people,
I sense that their frustration
is partly tangible
but also, I sense their awareness
that anything is possible.
In some way, we've arrived
at a point of no return.
Which means that...
We've just got on board, in fact.
People are on the train
but they don't know
when we'll arrive at a station.
They think that they're...
I don't know what train
they think they're on,
but this train will arrive somewhere.
That's it.
I want to believe
that it will stop at the right station.
In one way or another,
it can happen any time,
anyhow.
That's not important.
Time is on our side.
It's our strength.
President Thomas Sankara
Burkina Faso,
An honest and worthy
Faso representative
A current resident of the cemetery
A revolutionary
butchered by a traitor
His bones are resting
in Dagnoen Cemetery
Just as white as Nobert Zongo's
Vile imperialist, sad tightrope walker
Political strategists,
methodical killings
It's the Old Man and the Medal
For our forefathers, it's chaos
They don't know what to say anymore
The kids of today have no respect
for us citizens.
But where are we?
We are told to be perfect consumers
They order you to speed up
They order to me to capitulate
We're beasts of burden
mixed up with the losers
And the bells ring out for freedom
And the bells ring out for dignity
And the bells ring out...
Captain Noël Isidore
Thomas Sankara
More justice!
We want justice!
We're fed up!
We're fed up!
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE
A socialist revolution led by
Captain Thomas Sankara takes control.
The country is renamed Burkina Faso.
The new president
frantically implements reforms
which culminate in his assassination
on October 1987,
at the hands of Blaise Compaoré,
his long-term associate.
A dictatorship takes over.
It goes on to last 27 years.
On October 2014,
Blaise Compaoré’s regime is overturned
by a country of young people who
adhere to Sankara’s legacy.
Rapper, Smockey, a founding member
of the Balai Citoyen movement,
is at the forefront
of the anti-Compaoré dispute.
He embodies a generation
driven by Thomas Sankara’s ideology.
The slave who cannot struggle
for his emancipation
doesn't deserve our empathy.
Only fighting sets you free.
Smockey does not surrender.
A long time ago, from far away.
Smockey never surrenders.
Smockey's here again.
Always there,
when and where you need him.
Always there,
especially in times of discontent.
Smockey never surrenders
No one must ever surrender
No one must ever surrender
No longer will we all surrender
We must never surrender
Four: The bling bling are in control
Five: Social climbers have the monopoly
Six: They think their status symbols
will earn them respect
like in the Capitol
That's not the way it works
Respect comes at a price
Your possessions will lobotomize you
Your car won't earn you respect
Some people chase after brands and bling
always wanting to obey
unable to bear their pathetic existence
The weak must pay
for their insignificance
Do you think
you're worth your education?
Now you're the one with the balls
If the solution depends
on the equation
Submission depends on the position
Smockey never surrenders
No one must surrender
No one must surrender.
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE
Good evening.
How are you?
How are you?
- I'm fine.
Ho!
How are you, bro?
I saw you...
- Are you well?
Respect.
We're here.
We really didn't want to carry on
but, in the end...
We were greeting people.
I dedicate this award
to all those who fought,
to all those great fighters:
Lumumba, Thomas Sankara.
And I hope with all my heart
that our current leaders
will not trample on
the legacy that we were left
all the way
to the Pantheon of pointlessness.
These aren't my headphones.
You're used to the other ones.
- Yes, I am.
This slavery is political
Migration is a dead end
Far from yourself,
far from your rights
Never forget
you have a home to go back to
Shall we begin?
- Yes.
This slavery is political
Migration is a dead end
Far from yourself,
far from your rights
Never forget
you have a home to go to.
One more take?
- One more, yes.
Listen to that!
I missed my queue.
Go ahead.
This slavery is political
Migration is a dead end...
Let's take it from the top.
It's good, it's getting there.
AFTER THE REVOLT NOW VOTE
I think it's here...
Hold on, I might be talking rubbish.
It's here.
The fragments are there.
Sankara's grave was
somewhere around here.
That piece says:
"President, head of State."
Sankara's grave.
His associates were buried nearby.
They were also buried with him.
Thirteen.
Something strange,
a funny coincidence...
Maria, my elder sister,
died in October 1983,
the year when Sankara became
the President of Upper Volta,
which was later to become Burkina Faso.
Sankara died in October 1987
and he's buried in the same cemetery.
Strange coincidence.
I wasn't even aware of that.
We've not even done half of what...
... many freedom fighters
like Le Che or Sankara have done
or Nasser and all those people,
Modibo Keïta,
to a lesser extent.
They all contributed
to our dignities.
So, we have the opportunity
to make change a reality
if we look upon our past
without making excuses.
I saw a popular surge
of Burkina Faso citizens,
a united movement, a resurgence
of dignity, of determination
like we haven't seen for many years,
being exerted throughout the whole land.
And even drawing on their resources
to fight the putschists
who wanted
to ruin our revolution.
That is a revolution.
It's just that
then you can say whatever you want.
Some say:
"The mountain brought forth a mouse."
Some say that it's not a revolution
in terms of what happened next.
But, in that case, wouldn't we say
that the 1789 French Revolution
brought forth an empire
led by Napoleon Bonaparte?
I consider all this
as a transition phase.
The new civilian government has been
in power for two and a half years.
We have the chance
to see the process through,
including elections in 2020.
What I say is,
to succeed, you must believe.
First you believe
and then it's possible.
The killers are lying
in the first houses
close to the entrance barrier
and in the bushes lining the paths.
A grenade rips apart the leading car.
Olympe Bamouni,
the President's chief of press,
Fréderic Ziembé, legal advisor,
are killed instantly.
Sankara and nine guards
manage to take refuge
in a nearby house.
Lying face down in the corridor,
they retaliate.
But the house is surrounded.
An offensive hand grenade
is thrown inside.
An injured Sankara says:
"It's pointless,
they're looking for me."
He stands up calmly
and heads towards the door.
His body is ripped apart
by Kalashnikov fire.
The killers invade the house,
shooting everyone in sight.
Manna of creation,
put an end to our curse
of sad reflection
of the hopelessness
at the dawn of our lives.
May the dawn avenge
our Hottentot Venuses.
We're ready, soldiers.
Here are my words
as a lowly troubadour.
Whatever happens,
we are the heirs of
people like Norbert Zongo,
of people like Thomas Sankara,
of people like Joseph Ki Zerbo,
of people like Dabo Boukary,
etc, etc...
The list is long.
But we'll never be followers
of people like Blaise Compaoré,
people like François Compaoré,
people like Djibril Bassolé,
people like...
General Diendéré.
People like...
There are so many.
Our ancestors are our witnesses.
Lies will be torn apart.
The fact is, we must all go through it,
we're all going to die.
May everyone weigh their conscience.
If it's a worthy fight,
may they continue it!
If it's not a worthy fight,
may they disregard it.
One thing is for sure,
as we've always said,
Thomas Sankara is still our pioneer.
On this day on October 15 1987,
it has now been 30 years
that the justice system has been
unable to serve justice.
Somebody born that way,
who devoted his life
to fulfilling his dream.
Today, our responsibility is to ensure
that this dream becomes reality
here in Faso.
Sankara's dream must be fulfilled.
"Dare to invent the future."
These are not just words.
I want to invite to the stage
someone who has revolutionized
and contributed a lot to Burkinabe rap
and to music in general
and who no longer needs an introduction.
I'd like to invite to the stage,
the man they call Smockey!
Good evening.
Are you well?
- Yes, I'm fine.
Good evening, are you well?
Greetings, are you well?
No, you see,
how many years has it been?
There are some lyrics
that you remember but I don't
and lyrics I remember and you don't.
Yes, inevitably.
You had your favorite lyrics too.
Everything that was...
What was it called?
Just Cool Rap.
No, Just for War.
We used to rap in English...
It wasn't our thing.
Then Smockey says:
"Hold on, your phonetics are wrong!"
And he starts writing his lyrics.
- That's true!
"This is the story of a goat
who goes out one day to vote."
It's crappy, but people get it!
- Exactly!
That's an old one!
Was there as much political activity?
Upper Volta's
first democratic elections were held.
The UPV!
Yes, but the most well-known ones...
The country was divided.
There was the UNDD-RDA.
That was back
when Félix Houphouët Boigny
carried some weight in the region.
In the end, I think
the African Democratic party won.
Back then people called me "Mr. Deputy."
Because I was so interested
in these political issues:
The UNDD, the RDA,
or not the RDA or the UNDD...
This was the first democratic election
to be held in Upper Volta.
At the time of Blaise's CDP,
they tell you:
"If you want to vote,
"put a tick next to Blaise
and stick your slip in the envelope."
What if you don't want
to vote for Blaise?
"In that case, put a line through Blaise
"and stick it in the envelope."
You were screwed!
Explain that to the people.
In both cases, you've voted for Blaise.
That's why we're forced
to use elephants and lions as symbols.
That was before.
It was before?
It's still like that now.
We need to introduce a scale system
so people can find their way around it.
We say: "This is what we call
"the minimum IQ of the masses."
If we don't reach this level of IQ,
let's not even mention democracy!
You say that these people
must have a certain IQ level.
That's bullshit!
Between 80% and 90%
of intellectuals have resigned.
On the other hand, these know-it-alls
are the closest enemies...
They're the closest friends
of these dictatorial regimes!
The closest friends
of this repressive system,
this system that locks everything down.
Those people work harder
to maintain the system
than the peasants
who understand everything
but have no way of taking action.
Despite not having this information,
these guys are far more objective
and far more realistic
than all these pseudo-intellectuals
who went to school,
useless idiots who are
up to their eyes in diplomas.
That's the reality.
We've set fire to the Assembly.
We've set fire to the Assembly.
It's over.
With fire you can burn everything,
you can wipe everything away .
They call me Smoke.
They call me Smoke.
Some people even say I'm crazy.
But I couldn't care less.
They say I'm crazy
because I talk to myself.
But in fact, I don't.
I'm talking to my buddy,
my friend, my confident.
His name is Blaise.
I tell him everything
but he doesn't say much.
He wants to make me think
that his mind is working.
One night, he wanted
to introduce me to a friend.
I think his name was Sankara.
This guy was neurotic, a real wacko,
a guy who always has
something to say,
even when there's nothing to say.
So, I said to Blaise:
"I like your friend, but...
"He talks too much.
"He also thinks too much.
"I think he goes too far.
"Let me speak to him
with the weight of my experience."
So, I encourage him.
Not too much.
Since that day,
I've never seen him again.
Another night, he wanted
to introduce me to another friend.
Zongo.
I said:
"Blaise, let me stop you right there.
"Every time you introduce someone to me,
"I never see him again."
So, when he persisted
with his famous Mr. Article 37,
I said: "Stop!"
But too late.
Now it's Blaise who I don't see anymore.
My wounds aren't healing.
My wounds aren't closing up.
My wounds are half-open,
coming apart and oozing pus,
stinking out the mascara.
Throughout the whole show,
before the fall of Blaise,
I mean, when we were performing
in front of the audience,
you felt this sense
of tension,
giving you the impression that...
In fact, it felt like we were in...
People were afraid,
they were afraid
when they were watching you.
They were afraid
that something might suddenly happen.
I think it was also very daring.
Very daring to call out the name
of the President in a show
while he's still in power
and accuse him of certain serious acts.
It's daring to do that within a show.
All day, the riot police
have been hunting down young people
and Balai Citoyen members.
So, it was very heated!
They're each devising a strategy
to hold out as long as possible
as the objective was to camp out
in the area surrounding
the Rond Point des Nations Unies,
in order to wait
in front of the Assembly.
All night, it was heating up
and, around 6 PM,
I was on the Place de la Révolution
and Boukary le Lion was there
talking to the crowd
and struggling to contain them.
Hundreds of riot police were
ready to charge.
I was asked to address the crowd.
I had to go up there
and explain to people.
In the end,
despite many difficulties, it worked.
We said: "It's not avoidance, it's taking
a step back to come back stronger."
"We'll all return to the
Place de la Révolution tomorrow.
"And with strength of will,
we'll succeed."
Many people started
to agree with this approach
and they started leaving the site.
That's when my telephone rings.
It was the playwright
giving me a roasting:
"You're being unprofessional.
"People are waiting,
the play should've started...
"We're an hour late!
"You're not here.
You've missed the sound check."
I said:
"Are you aware of what's going on?"
"No, I don't want to know.
"A professional keeps things
separate, etc."
It was such a big deal!
If my reality had met fiction,
her fiction hadn’t met any reality.
It wasn't yet within her reach.
She hadn't understood...
Later, she understood
the severity of the situation.
It was true rebellion of the people.
It was serious business.
It was hard for her to believe
that everything we'd experienced
and created on the stage
was happening right in front
of our eyes. She was blind.
Few people really believe that culture
comes before change.
Beyond being the change itself.
They say that because it sounds good
but they don't believe it.
And yet...
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
We haven't slept for a week.
We've fueled rebellion
in every neighborhood
and on the UN roundabout
and the Place de la Révolution.
This morning we set off
from the Rond Point du 2 Octobre,
we rallied people
to do the rounds and come back here
to force the riot police
to let us through.
At some point, the Army will be
with us and they have to.
ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF OFFICE
We need political commitment
We need leaders
who go further than cash
Who go further for Africa
We need leaders who see further
We need leaders who have...
We need political commitment
We need to take risks
We need someone to take risks,
we need political commitment.
Something like that.
As soon as the kids saw Smockey,
they came to him.
That's sweet!
Hi, kids.
How's it going?
Come say hello to your uncle!
- Come say hello to me.
Say hi to your uncle.
How are you?
Sweet!
Fist bump.
Gimme a fist bump!
Our country or death?
Our country or death?
- We shall win.
Not loud enough!
Our country or death?
We shall win!
- That's it!
That sounds more determined.
What did we have previously
with the Balai Citoyen?
We had strong words and actions.
Lots of people believed
in the Balai Citoyen's message.
Wasn't the revolution a strong action?
- No, I mean before that.
You were able to rally
lots of Burkinabe citizens
and even beyond that.
We were expecting something better.
With the revolution.
At least, after the fateful day
of the revolution.
Whether or not I want to be,
I'm a leader.
Some consider me to be a leader.
So, I don't want to send
people's children to the slaughter.
I'm no expert in politics.
That's the last thing we should do.
After trying everything else.
I'm no expert.
When we protested
to get the Army on our side,
the next day,
Balai supporters came.
They surrounded the military.
They said
that they were going to force entry.
You were there, weren't you?
- Yes, I was there.
We were there with megaphones.
What happened?
We were walking around,
and we heard
that all the Army generals are inside,
they were having a powwow.
We exchanged words and said:
"What shall we do?
"Isn't it better to speak to them?"
So we did.
And they told us
they can guarantee
that Blaise will resign
and they'll secure it,
everything we asked for.
I said: "In the meantime,
who'll be in charge of operations?"
In the interim.
They had to decide
who should be in charge.
I'm not talking about a transition.
I’m pointing out
the basic functions of an army.
The Army defends the people!
They must face up to
their responsibility to defend the people
until the people make a decision.
This is all that we saw,
in all our naivety!
The soldiers weren't left in peace.
With Kalashnikovs!
They say it's up to us to protect them.
"What?
Soldiers can protect themselves!"
They say: "No."
If we don't protect them,
they don't know
what can happen in the crowd.
So we, members of the Balai,
surrounded the guys
to protect them
and get them to the Place de la Nation.
To address the people.
My bro Sans'k came to see me and said:
"Smockey, is it OK
if we stand with them?"
I said: "You know,
we must take responsibility.
"This is our commitment.
"Let's do what we have to
and then move on."
They just dropped everything.
they made their announcement,
they filmed it.
That's how
the Balai Citoyen sold the revolution.
At one point,
it was a chaotic and urgent situation.
We had to be on the ground.
Whenever the situation commanded it,
we were there.
Even when we smelled a rat, we were there.
Even if there were only ten of us.
But the message in your lyrics
was more convincing.
That's not true.
- It is.
More convincing than which lyrics?
I don't know.
What's the most recent album you've heard?
Which album?
I always stick to the same themes, man.
I don't change.
Until proven otherwise,
on each show, I say:
"Was the government in place now
voted in by popular consensus, yes or no?
"Is it here as a result
of transparent elections?
"Did the Burkinabe people elect it?"
Yes.
- So, it's legitimate!
Why do you want me to hit the streets
and whip up a second revolution?
We wanted
things to be done democratically
and Burkinabe people have the right
to choose their own president,
their representative
for no more than two terms.
That's what we have today.
In 2020,
those who aren't happy will have a vote.
They'll vote for someone else.
Betrayal of the rebellious mind
Democracy belongs to us all
Security measures
- Misconduct
Incompetence
- Poor leadership
The putsch trial...
Listen, he says:
"Colonial mentality.
"You're a colonial man.
"You were once a slave.
"You've already been set free
"but you've never set yourself free.
"Exactly.
"They do all that.
"They even exaggerate what they do.
Exactly.
"That's why they think that
they're better than their brothers."
"That's right.
"They don't like their own.
"They prefer outsiders.
That's right.
"They sit in air-conditioned rooms
"and they're far from their homeland.
"That's right.
"The judge puts on his wig
and sentences his brother to jail.
"That's right.
"They're proud of their names
while they take the names of slaves.
"That's right.
"Colonial mentality.
Listen to me!
"Colonial mentality.
"Mr. Ransome, listen to me.
"Mr. Guillaume, listen to me.
"Mr. Mohamed, listen to me.
"Mr. Anglican..."
They're talking about you.
Mr. Mohamed, that's you!
"Mr. Anglican, listen to me.
"Mr. Catholic, listen to me.
"We're still in Africa,
"so listen to me."
I'll bet it's great.
The needle needs to go
much further along.
That's so fucking old.
I remember that.
Dad used to dance to that
on our terrace.
The Horoya Band's second concert.
That's old music.
It needs moving on a little.
Sir.
You were born around 1938 in Bondigui.
You're 44 years old, Voltaic.
You're an economic affairs advisor
and a Samandin resident.
You're a Gounghin resident, married
and the father of seven children.
You've never been sentenced.
My father was offered
the job of minister
at least twice.
He refused each time.
The third time,
Sankara and Blaise came to the house
to offer it to him
and he accepted.
As soon as he accepted
the minister's job,
anonymous letters were written, etc.
So, he was brought before the TPR,
the Popular Revolutionary Tribunals,
to be judged.
He was under house arrest
for almost two years.
He was given food to eat at home.
And then he was found not guilty.
The problem is, it really affected him.
It broke him, in fact.
After that, he didn't want to work
in government anymore.
He went back to his job at the ECOWAS
before eventually retiring.
And then he died.
But all this broke him.
It broke his family.
So, they blamed...
For a big part of the family,
Sankara was to blame for this.
That's why it's difficult to understand
why I'm a Sankara supporter.
For me, that's not the problem.
I don't want to look through
my own little individual prism,
I want to look through
a collective prism.
And I want to believe
in this man's humanity
in terms of his actions,
the ambitions he had for his country
and the integrity he represents
right up to the present day.
He didn't serve his own interests.
And that's enough to give me faith
in the human initiative
that he planned to launch.
The rest of it is political games.
He had to turn a blind eye
to certain things.
Beyond that...
He's still a great man.
I lived in the Zone du Bois,
it's not a small neighborhood,
it's swanky.
Daddy's boys, daddy's girls...
I was only surrounded
by people like that.
They tried everything to control me,
but failed.
Even my father
has never been able to control me.
Thinking about it,
I'm quite proud of that.
My father didn't understand.
He can't understand
that his son can be calm one minute
and then straight out with it the next.
And everyone stays calm.
I don't know.
I've never felt comfortable
in that world.
Perhaps because, in some way,
I had a wider outlook.
There's nothing special
about material wealth.
There were some remarkable things
for someone of my age, but...
Something wasn't right,
something about these people
didn't ring true.
Because, they lived in an environment
that they knew inside out,
that they pretended not to see,
because they were
only interested in their own.
When I look
at what these people have become today,
that's what I hate the most.
I don't envy them at all.
Even though I'm far from home,
I have rights
And just like you, I have rights
And it's the same blood flowing
in you and me
In you and me.
"Even though I'm far from home,
I have rights.
"Yes, just like you.
Yes."
I prefer:
"And just like you."
Yes, just like you...
- No, the "yes" isn't a long note.
You're insisting to someone
that you have rights and he's surprised.
"Yes, like you, I have rights too."
Yes, like you I have rights
instead of "and just like you."
And it's the same blood flowing
in you and me
In you and in me.
"See, I have rights!"
I heard a real African, man.
That was no honky.
See, I have rights!
- Exactly!
Or we can sing it
to a Patrick Bruel tune.
And if I'm far away from my rights,
I have a home...
"And if I'm far away from my rights,
I have a home."
If I'm ever far away from my rights,
I can always stay at home.
Where I'm respected.
Frantz Fanon said
that man on earth is nothing
if he's not slave to a cause,
the cause of the people,
the cause of justice,
the cause of freedom.
The same Frantz Fanon said
that it's up to each generation
to find their mission,
accomplishing it or betraying it.
Our leaders have betrayed us.
I think that many of our leaders
don't even know they're on a mission!
They don't yet know
that they're on a mission.
But what I also wanted to say,
is that migrants are also being betrayed
in a way.
It takes courage
to face up to all this danger.
It takes courage
to accept all this suffering.
But, at the same time,
whatever people may say,
it's also a form of cowardice.
We must be honest.
If you had the capacity
to bear all this suffering
to get to the other side,
to cross the Mediterranean,
you can stay and fight with us here,
so we can change the country.
Paradise is not Las Vegas,
it's not Paris,
it's not Hong Kong
or any of the places we see on TV.
Paradise is here in Burkina Faso.
Always searching for tomorrow
Sentenced to poverty,
I hold out my hand to you
Here, it's rough & tough
and if you want profit
You must fight to put food on the table
Here, it's Babylon, Baghdad, Islamabad
No laws, no faith,
here there is no God
When we say we're together,
we're in the shit
We're in it together,
all in the shit
We're slaving, rhyming, not bragging
We deal here, we kill here,
there are no bonuses here
If you're weak, you're dead
There's no crime here
When you sleep, you're dead
There are no dreams here
Hey family, what do you say?
What are we looking for?
We're waiting for a lifeline
from God or his prophet
Waiting for it all,
nobody knows what we're waiting for
But we're waiting
Anyhow, we have the time
They have the cash
but we have the time
Fine wheels
Fine women
They have the watches
but we have the time
They have the cash
Fine wheels
Fine women
The wheel isn't turning,
somebody jammed it
Someone's having fun
rolling the fucking dice
Someone's having fun
Someone's having fun
rolling the fucking dice
The wheel isn't turning,
somebody jammed it
Someone's having fun
rolling the fucking dice
Someone's on their way to
Kosyam Palace...
Is politics a game?
- No!
Is it a game?
- No!
It's on the people's shoulders.
If you want to speak
in French or in Moore, feel free!
You have the floor tonight.
You'll point out problems
and together, we'll find the solutions.
If you have anything to say.
What's the problem
with the roads in Karpala?
What solutions can we suggest?
And above all, how can we mobilize
for Karpala?
From Karpala to Rayongo,
everything has been sold.
The section at the back
has been handed over to bigwigs
who are building
apartment blocks and shops.
The hospital septic tanks
have been there barely two weeks.
They're in the open air
and, when you walk past, it stinks.
Can you imagine
this hospital's wastewater
flowing through a whole neighborhood?
I was planning to ask the mayor here
but, as you can see,
he isn't here tonight.
I was passing by
and I saw the audience sitting here.
I stopped to find out
what was happening.
I heard you discussing
our neighborhood.
Wherever you go, people are discussing
our neighborhood, Karpala.
When it rains in Karpala,
you pray to God
that even your worst enemy
doesn't have to go there.
Last time, my six meters of tarmac here
was turned into the Tanghin Barrage.
On Friday, an old man
wearing his white prayer gown,
wanted to pass by
and he fell into the water.
When I saw that, I cried.
Apparently, we have a local mayor,
but he does nothing for us.
In return for our votes,
he promised to resolve the problems.
We voted for him and he took power.
But he only looks after his own
and we suffer.
We should've stayed home on election day
and let him fend for himself.
What's the point of voting
when you get up the day after
to find desolation?
We know it's not an easy country,
but you must keep your promises
in the name of your ancestors!
That's all I have to say.
You know,
we must change.
Putting on the pressure is good,
but nothing has happened yet.
You must be the politicians,
you must go into politics.
You must be the mayors,
there's no competition.
Those people have no faith.
It's the same old parties
that have been there forever.
They're old parties.
They're old crocodiles.
You must chase them away!
You must agree to take
your destiny into your own hands.
The young guy said it earlier.
He said: "We've fought,
we've put up barricades,
"but we're not ready,
the neighborhood must change."
You must learn how to elect people
in your neighborhood,
people who are aware of your problems.
Not people who've come from elsewhere.
People who've already done
something for the neighborhood.
In any case, citizens from the zone.
If they sort things out,
it's good for them too.
But here people from I don't know where,
who are elected as mayors and
we don't even know how they got there.
And they do nothing!
Because they refuse
to meddle in politics.
You must meddle in politics!
We're here as citizens,
so, we also have the right
to be concerned about public issues.
Someone said to me:
"We must take responsibility."
That's taking responsibility!
There are young people,
people with potential
who can change
this neighborhood in one year.
What has this government done
in almost three years?
They say they've done a lot,
but it's almost nothing.
They're old crocodiles!
That's also the truth!
We need people who aren't afraid.
We need commitment to change things.
I want to talk about this commitment.
And you need it
to make sacrifices for others.
Those people don't have it.
Against the humiliating bondage
of a thousand years
Rapacity came from afar
to subjugate them
for a hundred years
Against the cynical malice
in the shape of neo-colonialism
and its petty local servants
Many gave in
and certain others resisted
But the frustrations,
the successes, the sweat, the blood
Have fortified our courageous people
and fertilized its heroic struggle...
Security measures
Misconduct.
- Incompetence
Poor leadership.
- The putsch trial...
Things have been slightly sorted out,
victories have been possible,
there's no reason for it to stop there.
These victories must continue.
And with them, they'll bring
their share of changes in mentality.
People will ultimately realize
that nothing is already predestined,
the dice have not been cast.
And once they've been cast,
we can cast them again.
We can reconfigure the game.
And it'll all be OK.
Each person
will approach things critically.
I believe in that, I feel that.
When I exchange views with people,
I sense that their frustration
is partly tangible
but also, I sense their awareness
that anything is possible.
In some way, we've arrived
at a point of no return.
Which means that...
We've just got on board, in fact.
People are on the train
but they don't know
when we'll arrive at a station.
They think that they're...
I don't know what train
they think they're on,
but this train will arrive somewhere.
That's it.
I want to believe
that it will stop at the right station.
In one way or another,
it can happen any time,
anyhow.
That's not important.
Time is on our side.
It's our strength.
President Thomas Sankara
Burkina Faso,
An honest and worthy
Faso representative
A current resident of the cemetery
A revolutionary
butchered by a traitor
His bones are resting
in Dagnoen Cemetery
Just as white as Nobert Zongo's
Vile imperialist, sad tightrope walker
Political strategists,
methodical killings
It's the Old Man and the Medal
For our forefathers, it's chaos
They don't know what to say anymore
The kids of today have no respect
for us citizens.
But where are we?
We are told to be perfect consumers
They order you to speed up
They order to me to capitulate
We're beasts of burden
mixed up with the losers
And the bells ring out for freedom
And the bells ring out for dignity
And the bells ring out...
Captain Noël Isidore
Thomas Sankara
More justice!
We want justice!
We're fed up!
We're fed up!
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE