Dolce Vita Africana, Cosima Spender
Dates: 6th February 2018 → 11th March 2018
Production: Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma
Language: French with English subtitles
Place: Observatori
Dolce Vita Africana is a documentary on the renowned African photographer Malick Sidibé, (Mali, 1935 – 2016) whose iconic images taken from the late ‘fifties to the ‘seventies captured the carefree spirit of his generation, affirming their freedom after the independence of the country until a coup by the Islamic State established a military dictatorship. The filmmaker Cosima Spender travelled to Sidibé’s studio in Bamako, Mali, to see the artist in his own atelier and discover first-hand the themes of his previous photographs, the personal stories of which also recount the history of Mali. In 2007 Sidibé was the first African artist and photographer to be awarded the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Biennale .
About the artist… Cosima Spender. This creator was born and grew up in Italy in a family of English artists and at the age of 14 she moved to England. She studied Anthropology and Art History at the University of London where her interest in telling stories, identity and traditions was aroused.
She graduated from the National Film and Television School in 2001, and her most recent film is PALIO, which has won awards and been screened at 14 film festivals before being broadcasted by the BBC and becoming available on Netflix.
She has directed documentaries for BBC Storyville, such as Without Gorky, Dolce Vita Africana or The Importance of Being Elegant, which won international acclaim. At present Cosima is developing fiction narratives and documentaries. The film we present, within the framework encompassed by the investigation in progress “Africa. What Africa?”, was one of the central pillars of the exhibition “Malick Sidebidé, Mali Twist”, which can be seen at the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain in Paris until 25th February 2018.
