User Reviews

Stern-faced Mamadou Zerbo plays Sogo, a 67 year old war veteran who spent ten years, two months, and three days fighting France's colonial wars in Algeria and Indochina. He's spent the last two years trying to claim the veteran's pension that's rightfully his, but Kafakesque red tape gets in the way and the money never seems to arrive. When Sogo finally loses his patience, a trip to the local pokey is in order...but the women of his home village have other ideas. This is a simple, heartwarming story of one man's struggle for justice. Tasuma is able to completely eschew full frontal social and political commentary whilst telling a straightforward and personal tale that speaks volumes about the treatment of the forgotten and discarded implements of imperial wars. There are other subtle (and not so subtle) progressive politics at work here, with Sogo repeatedly speaking out against arranged marriages, and the Arab shopkeeper character Khalil (Besani Raoul Khalil in a splendid performance) presented as a multidimensional character with his heart ultimately in the right place.

Tasuma (The Fire), Burkina Faso, 2003, d. Daniel Kollo Sanou, 90 m. In French and More. Tasuma is an absolute winner, an utterly charming rumination on French colonialism; and on the role of elders, women, and children in small African communities. Sogo Sanon has been trying to claim his military pension for decades; his plight reminds us the French military filled its ranks with Blacks from numerous French colonies in Africa. Finally assured that his pension will arrive "tomorrow," Sogo Sanon buys a mill to lighten the burden of the village women who must grind their grain, by hand, on a daily basis. Of course, the pension does not arrive. In what seems like a turn towards the violent, Sogo Sanon takes a hostage and forces him to write a letter to the long-dead General Charles de Gaulle. Never fear. All is resolved when the women and children mount a crusade in support of the village elder. The songs are wonderful and make a major contribution to the feel-good tone of a film you may want to see more than once.—Nick Salerno

The director of Tasuma is Kollo Daniel Sanou, and he was born in 1949. Kollo had made 25 cartoon and documentary films. Kollo got into making movies and had made four successful movies to date. Those four films are Paweogo (1983), Jigi- L'espoir (1992), Sababu (1993) and Tasuma (2003). Tasuma had won 2 awards in 2004, the Coup De Coeur award and the RTBF award. The movie is based in Burkina Faso in West Africa and the village was set up at a high altitude above all other villages in the countryside. Tasuma is about a French WWII veteran named Sogo Sano that comes home to his village to live the rest of his days. The village women are in a dire need of a mill and Sogo went and bought the mill on credit till his pension came in the next day. Issues arise and Sogo does not get his pension and runs into issues with the law regarding his debt which is punishable by imprisonment. The main theme of this film technically is a comedy but as the film goes on one would see that thousands of African soldiers that battled in the war failed to receive any kind of recognition they deserved, nor did they receive their pensions. They want what is owed to them as they are in dire need of the money. Sogo Sano is a 67-year-old man retired and ready to relax. He is liked by everyone in his village and enjoys whimsical conversations will anyone willing to listen to him. He is also tough as nails and does not let anyone push him around, not even the soldiers. Sogo is a very honorable man and does what he says and lives by an honorable code of conduct. Tinga is one of Sogos veteran friends that goes way back when he served with him in WWII. Tinga is thin and brittle-looking and enjoys conversation with those around him. Samir Khalil is the town merchant that can get just about anything they need. He is a well-fed middle-aged man making his way with a diverse selection of merchandise that is willing to make any deal he can to sell his market items. Business is the most important thing to Samir. Bakery: Is the town boy who makes his living helping out where it is needed earning very little in which he saves in hopes to move away someday to a nicer place to live his life. Prefect is an older man that is in a position of power that dictates his will on others. He is the one who locks up Sogo for not fulfillment of his debt upon request by Samir. Not many like him or his personality. I recommend this film to anyone who wants a great drama and some well-placed comedy. This movie is a great example of how culture can be respected and desired.