"During the social and cultural euphoria of a newly independent Niger in the 1960s, Philippe Koudjina worked as a photojournalist and later opened his own photo studio. For many years, his snapshots of the youth scene in Niamey and his individual and family portraits provided Koudjina with a national reputation and a good living. Today Koudjina has fallen on hard times. He is no longer able to take photos because he is slowly losing his sight to glaucoma, and after having been hit by a car, he must use crutches to get around. His cameras, photographic equipment and a disorganized collection of negatives gather dust in a decaying cupboard, while he begs on the street in order to survive. Photo souvenir features interviews with Koudjina, and contrasts his desperate situation with the fortunes of other African photographers such as Malick SidibeĢ and Seydou Keita, whose work from the same period has brought them renewed attention and financial rewards. While the film documents the effort by two French photo connoisseurs to organize an exhibition of Koudjina's work in Paris, Photo souvenir reveals the fickle cultural process by which one-time "photo souvenirs" become "photographic art," and whether or not an artistic reputation is made in the western world"--Container.
OCLC:
(OCoLC)183329274
Locations:
OVUX522 -- University of Iowa Libraries (Iowa City)
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.