Ouagadougou: Sophie Ou©draogo, a student at the Department of Modern Literature at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, has successfully defended her Master of Research in Performing Arts and Artistic Creation Professions, focusing on the role of setting as a cultural anchor in the film “Buud-Yam” by Gaston Kabor©.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Sophie Ou©draogo chose to explore decor as a research subject due to its significant yet under-explored role within the cinematographic universe. Her work aimed to analyze how film settings represent and enhance cultural identity, specifically by identifying elements within the decor that signify a particular culture and examining their cultural significance.

Ou©draogo argued that the setting in “Buud-Yam” serves not only as a marker of cultural identity by delineating the time and place of action and representing a traditional African space, but it also embodies the director’s vision of a culture or era.

Dr. Valentine Palm/Sanou, the dissertation director and Associate Professor of Language Science, praised Ou©draogo for her progress in addressing a relatively unexplored topic. “To understand the nature of the setting in an auteur film, she chose Gaston Kabor©, particularly Buud-Yam. She managed to deeply describe to us how the setting is rooted in African culture. I think that’s to her credit. She did a good job, and the jury recognized that,” she remarked.

The jury for the defense was composed of Pr Yves Dakouo, Full Professor and jury president, Dr. Valentine Palm/Sanou, and Dr. Ignace Sangar©, both lecturers. After deliberations, the jury awarded Sophie Ou©draogo her Master’s degree with honors, acknowledging the high quality of her research work.