This New Short Film Offers an Intimate Glimpse Into the 'Sights and Sounds' of Abidjan

A new short film from the popular online media platform For Africans By Africans (FABA), offers an intimate look into the "Sights and Sounds" of Côte d'Ivoire's largest city, Abidjan.

The video is the first in a new series from the platform that seeks to "document daily living in various African cities," through compelling visual content that allow viewers to take in every detail. "Our mission is to promote cross cultural exchange by sharing compelling visual, so this serves as an extension of our instagram posts," says FABA'S founder Chika Okoli. The filmmaker worked with Ivorian creatives on the ground in order to ensure cultural authenticity when bringing the visual to life. "We decided to shoot 'fly on the wall' style, we didn't want to take away or influence in any way but just to observe and document so our audience can actually see a truly authentic take of Abidjan through the eyes of the local community."

Okoli adds that she wanted to launch the "Sights and Sounds" series with a video about Abidjan in order to challenge the normal flow of coverage around West African culture. "For a change, we wanted a Francophone African country to come first which is usually not the case when mainstream media covers West Africa," says Okoli.

The film, highlights the people and spaces throughout the vibrant city. Its creators visited the neighborhoods of Cocody, Cocody Blockhauss, Plateau, Yopugon to capture its unique atmosphere and culture. One standout scene features a spell-binding Ivoirienne Zaouli dancer. "The Zaouli dance is very central to Ivoirienne culture and it would have been a disservice if we didn't feature that in this video," adds Okoli.

"Sights and Sounds: Abidjan" effortlessly captures the character of the West African city through crisp sound and dreamlike visuals. It's the latest original production from FABA. The platform released the documentary 'Fresh Agege Bread,' on the history of the Nigerian food staple last May.

Get into the "Sight and Sounds" of Abidjan by checking out the full short film below.

www.youtube.com

Credits:

Film by: Chika Okoli

Drone Footage/Fixer: Moustafa Cheateli

Sound : Tora Traore

Special thanks to: The People of Abidjan Yopougon dance troupe