Heremakono wins FESPACO 2003   Best actor and actress awards   Prize winners   Promised Land is a hit   South Africa stronger than ever   Nigerian film debut   What you said on Africa Live   FESPACO winner banned at home   Why not African actors?   Ivorians stay away from FESPACO   FESPACO 2003 Opening Ceremony   Congolese band get the party started   FESPACO prepares for lift off   FESPACO Director invites the stars		Cultural diversity was at the centre of FESPACO's openning ceremony Opening Ceremony A rejection of xenophobia and a defence of cultural diversity were the overriding messages of FESPACO’s opening ceremony. “Let us reject hatred, xenophobia and exclusion,” said Rasmane Ouedraogo, the President of the African Actors and Actresses Association and a well-known actor himself. His references were largely to the conflict in neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire where the long-standing Burkinabe immigrant community are caught up in the crisis. Ouedraogo called for a minute’s silence to remember actors that have died recently, including the popular Camara ‘H’ in Cote d’Ivoire. The ceremony was a celebration of cultural and ethnic diversity. The parade around the stadium had a strong Pan-African presence and delighted the many thousands who had been gathering all day. Groups representing Nigeria, Ghana and other African nations danced alongside stilt-walkers, giant puppets, and masked performers. It was a true carnival. Stage performances came from Burkina’s own Jeanne Bekabo, followed later by the Congolese band Makoma. Fireworks exploded above the stadium and spread like falling stars over a warm Ouagadougou night.

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