Yaaba is a 1989 Burkinabé drama film written, produced, and directed by Idrissa Ouedraogo. It won the Sakura Gold prize at the 1989 Tokyo Film Festival. The film was selected as the Burkinabé entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
The film was the subject of a short documentary Parlons Grand-mère, which was shot during the film's production by Djibril Diop Mambéty.
In a small African village, Bila (Noufou Ouédraogo), a ten-year-old boy, makes friends with an old woman called Sana (Fatimata Sanga), who has been accused of witchcraft by her village, and has become a social outcast. Only Bila is respectful of her, and calls her "Yaaba" (Grandmother).
When Bila's cousin, Nopoko (Roukietou Barry), falls ill, a medicine man insists that Sana has stolen the girl's soul. Sana undergoes a long and gruelling but ultimately successful journey to find a medicine to save Nopoko's life, but is still treated as a witch.
After Sana dies, the real reason why she is hated in the village is uncovered, but the love and wisdom she invested in Bila and Nopoko lives on.
Director: Idrissa Ouedraogo.
Cast: Fatimata Sanga, Noufou Ouédraogo, Roukietou Barry, Adama Ouédraogo, Amadé Toure, Sibidou Ouédraogo, Adame Sidibe, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Kinda Moumouni, Assita Ouedraogo.
Burkina Faso, Switzerland, France. West Germany, 1989.
Language: Mòoré.
Subtitles: English.
Download Yaaba / Grandmother. 1989.