Passion or Profession: Filmmaker

Period: 1951–

After studying history and film in Paris, Kaboré returned to his native Burkina Faso, where he taught film and worked for various government departments for the promotion of film. His first feature-length production in 1982, Wend Kuuni (God's Gift), received France's prestigious César Award for its depiction of a mute boy in pre-colonial Africa. He released a sequel to God's Gift with his third major film, Buud Yam (Soul of the Group), in 1997. Kaboré remains one of Africa's leading directors.