Bekolo Biography

My filmmaking career has also put me in the priviledge position to travel, meet people and learn to understand the dynamics of our world. And my desire of giving back what I have learned has been strong through out the years. Even though I would like to pursue filmmaking I consider an intellectual activity, I have always thought that I need to get involved in the development of my community back in Africa. Cinema has been a good school for ideas, dreams and ideals. Now it's time to implement those ideas in people's everyday life in Africa.


As a writer-director, I devote most of my time analyzing human and society dynamics. I have been like a doctor who only makes diagnostics on patients. Now I would like to learn how to provide a treatment and make sure my patients are cured.That's the reason why I am applying at The Clinton School of Public Service. I would like to learn form people who can help me achieve that goal. And my admiration for President Clinton through out his eight years as president were so inspiring that it is an honor for me to attend The inauguration class of The Clinton School of Public Service.

I deeply think that Africa needs more and more people like President Clinton who will devote their lives at the service of their countries. There are so many abandonned bulding sites in Africa. There is such a need for qualified people in the competitive international scene battling for the continent interests. How do we raise funds for programs, how do we create jobs, how do we finance health and education, how do we create efficient administrations that can take care of people, how do we survive? I need myself to get answers to these questions and don't want to hear that it's impossible. I am a filmmaker and in the making of a film we are working to turn the impossible dream into reality. To create that great science-fiction movie, we need to ask the question "what if?" We need to change the African apocalyptic science-fiction movie. We need to develop a culture of collective dynamics based on values and ideals that goes beyond our lifetime in an environment where individual equations are becoming a burden for a continent that is desperate for unity praised by traditional african solidarities.

I would like to combine my experiences as a teacher as well as a filmmaker by bringing together all the ressources and put them at the service of Africa in fields such as knowledge, communication, organization, technology, fund raising, business, human ressources etc... I would like to be able to act on a local level as well as on the international level. The future of the continent lies in our ability to create different patterns for development, educate a new generation of young africans to implement those patterns, develop a positive and favorable international environment for the continent.