Namibian talent recognised in Burkina Faso

Young actor Alejandro Cooper (12) has been nominated as the best young African actor in the 2024 Sotigui Awards.

Cooper starred as the young Lukas in the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation’s (OYO) most recent film, ‘Lukas’.

He has been nominated alongside Seydou Sarr from Senegal, for his role in ‘Moi, Capitaine’ by Matteo Garone and Ambjulla Ilboudo from Burkina Faso, for her role in ‘L’homme au Bâton’ by Christian Lara.

The Sotigui Awards are organised annually in Burkina Faso to recognise talents across the African continent and in the diaspora.

This is the first time a Namibian actor is nominated in this category, and Cooper is the only Namibian nomination this year.

However, it is the second Sotigui nomination for OYO, with the first nod and win in the best actor southern Africa category for Adriano Visagie’s role in ‘Salute!’ in 2019.

OYO director and founder Philippe Talavera yesterday said the film is based on a script written by Mikiros Garoes.

It offers a poignant exploration of the lives of street children, providing a raw and authentic portrayal of their challenges and the unwavering spirit that propels them forward.

“Based on interviews done with 17 children and young people currently living on the streets, as well as four young people who have come in conflict with the law due to their lives in the streets, the film is fiction based on facts,” he said.

The film follows Lukas (played by Alejandro Cooper, Hernandes Goanatgosi and Treazurique Titus) over 15 years and sheds light on the harsh realities children on the streets face. It further questions how society both fails, and at times exploits, such children, said Talavera.

‘Lukas’ was the first Namibian film to enjoy a three-week cinema run at SterKinekor in Namibia and South Africa.

The film has since been nominated at festivals in Nigeria, Egypt, Italy and the United States.

“This nomination is a huge win for Namibia. We have so many incredible talents in the country. We need to learn to discover such talents at a young age and, more importantly, nurture those talents. If we can’t produce enough local content, actors like Alejandro who are incredibly promising, will not be able to grow in the industry. We need to support our local talents,” added Talavera.