Cultural Politics & National Identity: How Captain Traoré is Using Sankara, Cinema, and Symbolism to Remake Burkina Faso
Podcast: History of the Caribbeans | Exploring Resilience and CulturePublished On: Thu Jul 17 2025
Description: In this explosive 4-chapter documentary-style deep dive, we explore how Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s military government is turning culture into a strategic weapon of nation-building. From the resurrection of Thomas Sankara through a state-funded mausoleum designed by Francis Kéré to the revitalization of the iconic FESPACO film festival, Burkina Faso is reinventing its identity on revolutionary terms. But is this cultural renaissance authentic or political theater? And how is it shaping a new Pan-African alliance with Mali, Niger, and Chad? With gripping scenes, symbolic analysis, and insider interviews, this story challenges everything we think we know about coups, culture, and power in the Sahel.
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