MobiCINE: A New Initiative for the Distribution of African Cinema

In April 2011, 70 pupils from the Elementary School of the Patte d'Oie Builders in Dakar enjoyed their first viewing of a film on the big screen: Le ballon d’or by Cheick Doukouré. This viewing was one of the first organised as part of the MobiCINE project, which is piloting an innovative system of film screenings in two major West African cities: Dakar and Bamako. In February, 7 “motorcycle units” were equipped with laptops, portable screens, loudspeakers and generators, and operators were trained to organise screenings in schools and social centres in both urban and rural areas.

These screenings can be attended for an affordable price (300 FCFA, or 0.45 €), and can also be sponsored by NGOs and other institutions. This “guerrilla” project aims to bring film back to African cities, where cinemas have been closing down. In 1973, there were 80 cinemas in Senegal with 4,461,000 viewers per year. In Dakar, it is now only possible to attend film screenings in three locations: the Sorano National Theatre, the French cultural centre and the city's one cinema complex. The idea behind the project is the “three part” economic model, whereby each part wins: the projectionist, the producers and mobiCINE, which becomes self-sustaining.

In the next few months the feasibility of this model will be assessed and if results are positive the mobiCINE will be extended to other countries. The project was set up by IDmage (Paris) and SOON (Dakar), in partnership with SARAMA FILMS (Bamako) and Studio Sankara (Dakar).

Andrea Marchesini Reggiani