The Nigerian Remake Of "Purple Rain" Is Cinematic Magic

It's doubtful whether anyone has ever referred to Prince's movie Purple Rain as "cinematic magic", especially considering Prince was way more enjoyable to watch in concert than in that schlocky 80s flick.

But Nigerian director Christopher Kirkley and cinematographer Jeremy Fino clearly saw merit in the story of a guitar wielding rebel who rides a purple motorcycle and dresses like a bit of a fop- because they remade Purple Rain for a West African audience.

Their version is called "Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai", translation- "Rain the color of blue with a little red in it", which is why they released it as simply "Akounak".

And even though it's inspired by Purple Rain this first ever Tuareg language fictional film has a main character who makes Prince's "The Kid" look like a spoiled brat:

Like the lone, nameless gunslinger in a Sergio Leone western, the central character in Kirkley’s film, musician Mdou Moctar, travels through the desert with a guitar instead of a rifle or Colt 45. And instead of a horse, he rides a motorcycle… a purple one. The gunslinger analogy is apt because guitar players in Agadez and surrounding areas battle among themselves to gain status as the fastest gun in the west, with six strings replacing six bullets.

The combination of Moctar’s live performances, the otherworldly beauty of the Sahara, Jeremy Fino’s luminous cinematography and Kirkley’s intimate and supple style of direction make Anounak one of those rare fictional films about music that has the pulse of real life and the resonance of great art.

akounak from J. Sprig on Vimeo.

-Via Dangerous Minds