Ya wooto – That’s Just How It Is

Original title Ya wooto – C’est comme ça

Sylvain is trying to make it in Ouagadougou, the capital Burkina Faso, one of the world’s five poorest countries. There, he found a job at Le coin des amis, a “buvette” owned by Hortense, a policewoman trying to make ends meet. Civil servants are not allowed to run a business: she is bending the rules as she manages her bar alone. Sylvain has only one thing in mind: saving up enough money to get his driver’s license in order to find a job that would allow him to start a family. Meanwhile, Sylvain caters to the regulars who gather there not only because they can drink on credit, but also because they have become inseparable: the bar has become the centre of a micro society where every aspect of life is a matter for discussion.

Author/s Jenny Cartwright

Jenny Cartwright loves documentary filmmaking and collaborated to many professional productions in Montreal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Israel and France. From research to video editing, she has worn many hats over the years. She started shooting, somewhat by accident, her first movie as a director while working as a humanitarian volunteer in Ouagadougou. Used to working with limited resources, it is no coincidence the film was shot in true DIY fashion: Jenny is a punk.

Research Jenny Cartwright
Photography David Cherniak
Sound Bruno Bélanger
Editing Jenny Cartwright