The jury for the ACPCultures+ special prize, composed of Michèle Dominique Raymond (ACP Assistant-Secretary General), presiding, and Boris Zakowski (audiovisual attaché of the Embassy of France to Burkina Faso), Osange Silou-Kieffer (journalist), Raymond Tiendrebeogo (director and professor at the Ougadougou Institute of Sound and Vision, and Perrine Ledan (Audiovisual and Cinema expert) as members, choose to award the prize to the documentary film “The Cut”, by a young, 28 year-old Kenyan Director; Beryl Magoko.

The award of the €3,000 (2 million CFA francs) prize took place at the award ceremony of the Special Prizes, held on 1st March 2013 at the open air BCEAO centre.

“The Cut”, with a running time of 43 minutes, deals with the traditional practices of female circumcision among the Kuria people of Kenya. The film essentially covers the way in which the young and human rights activists are trying to change this practice.

Beryl Magoko is, reportedly, overjoyed at receiving the ACPCultures+ prize. As a young documentary-maker and avid support of women’s rights, she is hoping to denounce the dangerous practice female circumcision and contribute to its gradual abandonment among the Kuria.

In addition to this, the documentary “Le Bois de la Survie”, by young Guinean Director Abraham Fofana, was also awarded a special mention. This film highlights the exhausting daily lives of clandestine tree fellers in Burkina Faso. Living in extreme poverty, these women hold out hope for better days ahead.

Both directors deserve congratulations for the technical and artistic quality of their works, as well as for their especially relevant and sensitive treatment of subjects at the heart of the ACP Group’s development policies, such as the fight against poverty, the respect of human rights and the protection of the environment.

For further information about “The Cut” :

http://thecutdocumentary.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-CUT/328887377164624

For further information on “Le Bois de la Survie” :

http://foualahfilms.wordpress.com
www.acpculturesplus.eu