Biografia
Kabore began his academic journey studying history at the Centre d'Etudes Superieures d'Histoire d'Ouagadougou before continuing in Paris, where he earned a master's degree. During this time, he developed an interest in how Africa was represented internationally, which led him in 1974 to study cinematography at the Ecole Superieure d'Etudes Cinematographiques. He was further inspired by Ousmane Sembene's film Xala, which demonstrated how cinema could express African culture. Upon returning to Africa, Kabore was appointed director of the Centre National du Cinema and taught at the Institut African d'Education Cinematographique. Under his guidance, he and his students created his debut film, Je Reviens De Bokin (I Come From Bokin).
Kabore went on to produce practical documentaries like the 1978 Stockez et conservez les grains (Store and Conserve the Grain), which addressed agricultural issues. Another documentary from this period, Regard sur le VIème FESPACO (A Look at the 6th FESPACO), reflected his dedication to promoting African cinema. His first feature film, Wend Kuuni (1982), marked a significant milestone in African filmmaking by effectively adapting African oral traditions for the screen. Kabore then explored the challenges of African cinema in the 1986 documentary Props sur le cinema (Reflections on the Cinema), featuring prominent African directors Souleymane Cisse from Mali and Mauritania-born Med Hondo discussing the continent’s filmmaking obstacles. His second feature, Zan Boko (1988), tells the story of a wealthy businessman who seizes ancestral land from a poor village farmer to build a swimming pool, highlighting conflicts of class struggle as well as the tensions between tradition and modernity in postcolonial society.
Before his next feature, Kabore released the short documentary Madame Hado (1991), centered on Mrs. Hado, a renowned Burkinabe singer and dancer. He was then invited to contribute to the BBC series Developing Stories, which showcased six filmmakers from developing countries focusing on environmental and developmental themes. Kabore’s entry, Rabi (1993), won first prize for young people's films at the Okomedia International Ecological Film Festival. His international acclaim was further evidenced by his participation in Lumière and Company (1995), a project where 40 directors worldwide created short films using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumiere Brothers. Kabore’s latest feature, Buud Yam (1997), won the grand prize at the 1997 FESPACO.
