WALIDEN / CHILDREN OF OTHERS
Directed by Awa Traoré
Mali, 2009 , 52 min.
The film Waliden, which is a term that refers to an adopted child in the Bambara language, is a plea for better treatment of adopted children in Mali. Adoption has long had a place in traditional Mali, as in other parts of Africa, creating enhanced connections between families and intensifying the social network. But in modern practice it can also become a form of exploitation and abuse. Director Awa Traoré was herself a waliden in her earlier years, and her film sheds light on the experiences of waliden victims of abuse that are rarely acknowledged.
In Bambara and French with English subtitles.
