In Kara-Kara, a marginalized district of Zinder, Niger, historically home to lepers, a culture of violence between gangs reigns. Despite this reputation attached to this neighborhood, director Aicha Macky, also from Zinder, films closely certain young people who are trying to get by, to start a family and sometimes even to offer themselves a future other than that of the prison. In this feature film of approximately 1h 22 min made in Hausa and subtitled, their daily life is shared with the spectators. This one juggling between their gang, the family, the resourcefulness and this desire to escape the cycle of violence in which they were built.
“Zinder” has a realism and truth that leads us to see things differently and especially violent or delinquent people with a certain empathy. Indeed, throughout the sequences, we realize that for most of these young people, behind their muscles, there are in reality men who are just waiting to find their place in a society that excludes them.
Starting from the premise of violence, “Zinder” alerts us to the silent cry that these young people are trying to make resonate. It doesn’t stop there but goes further. The protagonists in the film are not really perceived as scourges but active beings, capable of taking charge of their lives despite the obstacles. A sort of portrait of a figure of courage, far from the distressing cliché of evil gangsters. This feature film teaches us to see what muscles and violence can hide.
Between violence and attempts to escape the divide, “Zinder” overall presents a strong and non-judgmental look at the daily lives of people who are too often excluded. In 2022, the film “Zinder” won the Best Feature Film award at the Films femmes Afrique festival offered by Canal+. He also received the Black Movie Critics’ Prize, the Fidocs Special Mention and the Big Screen Documentary Prize at the Amiens International Film Festival.
