A controversial film that looks into rape and incest of a young woman by her father in Morocco won Africa's top film prize at the continent's largest film festival. Pegase, from Mohamed Mouftakir of Morocco, won the Golden Stallion of Yennenga, the grand prize of the Pan African Film Festival of Ougadougou in Burkina Faso's capital. Set in the countryside of the north African nation of Morocco “Pegase”, the debut film of young filmmaker Mouftakir, is a drama of rape of Rihanna, 20, perpetrated by her father in the belief she is “pregnant” with a demon. “The prize is a pride, it's recognition. It's encouraging,” Mouftakir told reporters at the festival. The runner-up Silver Stallion, went to “Un homme qui crie” (“A Screaming Man”) by Chad director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. The film received the jury's prize, a mark of special recognition, at last year's Cannes prestigious Palme d'Or, the first time in 13 years an African feature competed for the top award in Cannes. Romantic comedy “Le mec ideal” (“The ideal guy”) by Ivory Coast's Owell Brown took the Bronze Stallion. The jury prize for special recognition went to “Notre etrangere” (“The Place in Between”), the poignant story of a mixed race woman who returns to Burkina Faso from France to find her mother. It was directed by Sarah Bouyain. In all 18 films were competing for the feature film awards. BM
