🇬🇦GabonCentral Africa
Gabonese delegation attends Bassek Ba Kobhio's funeral in Yaounde, honoring his legacy in African cinema
via Gabon Review6 min read
Two prominent figures in Gabonese cinema, Serge Abessolo, Director General of the Gabonese Institute of Image and Sound IGIS, and Imunga Ivanga, former Director of IGIS and current Director General of AGATOUR, traveled to Yaounde to attend the funeral of Bassek Ba Kobhio. Kobhio, a filmmaker, writer, and founder of the Écrans Noirs Festival, passed away at 69. The Gabonese delegation presented themselves as ambassadors, paying tribute to a shared cinematic heritage between Gabon and Cameroon. The tributes took place from June 23 to 27, 2026, with vigils in Yaounde, a body viewing at the General Hospital, and transfer to the family home before the burial in Nindjé, Kobhio's native village. The delegation emphasized their presence as a sign of fraternity, not just protocol, acknowledging Kobhio's three-decade-long influence on Gabonese filmmakers. Serge Abessolo described Kobhio as a "generous, visionary man" deeply committed to African cinema, whose work remains an inspiration. Imunga Ivanga recounted how Kobhio provided crucial support and trust early in his career, recognizing his potential. Ivanga characterized Kobhio as "not just a filmmaker," but "a man of vision, a facilitator, a unifier." The attendance of Abessolo and Ivanga at the funeral underscored the Gabonese cinema community's recognition of its debt to Kobhio, who opened his sets and offered his trust to many over the years.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Gabon Review.
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