Ouaga Saga, Magical Realism, and Postcolonial Politics

Ouaga Saga (2004), a popular rags-to-riches comedy, uses representations of the city, youth culture, and cinema to set the stage for a modern magical saga by Burkinabè director Dani Kouyaté. This article examines how magical realism can be harnessed as a tool for postcolonial cinema. It argues more specifically how magical realism assuages violence in the urban center Kouyaté depicts and renders visible the postcolonial politics in the everyday lives of a group of resourceful boys, their family, and neighborhood.