Adama Drame: A Griot's Story

[bubudi]

a film by adam rozanski (2007, 52 min)

Griot's Story.mp4

Griot's Story.jpg

a griot's story presents the personal story of adama drame, master djembe player, a descendant from a long line of djeli (griots), a caste of musicians and custodians of the culture and history of their peoples. despite touring around the world and achieving international fame, adama has remained in his native country, burkina faso. in his native language, dioula, adama speaks of what it means to be a griot and musician today. he talks of his musical career, reveals some secrets of his instrument and of his individual style of playing that made his career over 40 years... and he wonders if his son and disciples will be able to continue his life's work. this musical film takes us through the streets of bobo dioulasso as we discover a contemporary west african griot... the film is filled with music and dance as we see adama perform with other musicians on stage and in celebrations on the streets and courtyards. recently broadcast as part of the 17th pan afrirican film & art festival 2009 in los angeles, fespaco 2009 in ouagadougou, burkina faso, africa world documentary film festival 2009 in usa and gdansk docfilm festival 2009, all in which it won awards.

to buy contact:
marianna@ozumifilms.com

[bops]

This one looks really interesting. I have his book (in French) and it's really enlightening.

Any idea why the trailer cuts off after 1 min? Max file size for upload?

[bubudi]

that's all the producer would give. it was probably just easier to cut it at 1 min rather than fade out and add titles.

[orlik]

great movie, i saw it on polish TV channel (the name of the channel is TVP kultura)
i really love it

[e2c]

I'd love to see this, although I wonder if it's available with English subtitles? (My French is pretty minimal, unfortunately...)

[michi]

Yes, the film has English subtitles. I wrote to the address Bubudi posted to see whether I can buy a copy but, so far, haven't received a reply.

Michi.

[EvanP]

Michi,
Did you ever find a source for this DVD? I found one source for educational videos, but they wanted $295US for it.

Thanks,
Evan

[michi]

Michi,
Did you ever find a source for this DVD? I found one source for educational videos, but they wanted $295US for it.

No, sorry, I never received a reply to my enquiry.

What's the source you found? If you dig a little deeper, you may find that the price you were quoted is for a license that permits public and/or school viewings of the film. Often, distributors of educational films also offer a license for private use at lower cost.

Cheers,

Michi.

[EvanP]

That may well be the case--the distributor (Filmaker's Library) offers a classroom rental for $85. Here's the link to the site:

http://www.filmakers.com/index.php?a=fi ... ilmID=1576

I sent them a message requesting a copy for private use. I'll let you know what I find out.

[bops]

Yep... from their FAQ:

Rights
Titles purchased from Filmakers Library at the institutional rate come with public performance rights for non-commercial and educational exhibition when no admission fee is charged. Inquire about rights for Canada and countries outside of North America.

[EvanP]

I got a response from the Filmaker's Library. While Bops and Michi are correct and the DVD is available for a reduced price for private use, they're charging $49.95 plus $10.00 for shipping. Seems pretty steep for something I'll watch 1-2 times.

I'm going to check with my local library to see if I can't get a copy via interlibrary loan.

Evan

[EvanP]

By the way, Ozumi Films seems to no longer exist (at least their website).

[guedom]

Hi I have a buddy that knew Adam Rozanski in Mali, I can ask him for Adam's email if anyone want this documental.

Cheers

[EvanP]

Guedom,
That would be great. I checked with my local municipal library. They don't have it, and they don't do interlibrary loans on DVDs. I've asked a friend to check with a local university library. I should be able to get a copy through that channel, but I wouldn't mind owning a copy if it was reasonable.

Evan

[EvanP]

Guidom,
Did you ever have any luck contacting Rozanski?

I finally got a copy to watch through an interlibrary loan. It's a great DVD! A bit of drumming and music, but much more about the Burkina culture. I'm not sure if it's worth the $50 + shipping that the Filmmaker's Library is charging, but it is definitely worth watching.

Evan