The inaugural Indian Ocean Film Festival on the Sea and Music, held in Toliara, raised awareness of cinema's cultural value. The festival began with screenings at the Alliance française in Toliara, marking a historic first. The event brought together Malagasy, Réunionnais, and Mauritian filmmakers alongside the local public. Eight films were screened over three days, with some shown on the beaches of Mangily, a renowned seaside village about thirty kilometers from Toliara.
Filmmaker Anatole Ramaroson, who studied cinema in France, initiated the project. "I grew up in Bezaha and Betioky. My father was a civil servant and we moved frequently. I lived in Toliara, Toamasina, Antananarivo, and France. I've been passionate about cinema for a long time and deeply interested in music. Through these passions, I promised myself I would organize a film festival in Toliara," he explained.
The initiative was developed with the association "Asa Sary," Malagasy filmmakers, and "AyeAye Dev." It represents a structuring initiative for Toliara's cultural and territorial development with regional and international growth potential. "The idea is to connect cinema with the sea and music to showcase cinema's cultural value in this coastal city. It's an all-in-one festival combining film screenings, music, workshops, and cinema training. Four Indian Ocean filmmakers participated," Ramaroson said.
Following his work with "Ant'Sary Doc," Madagascar's international documentary film festival now in its fourth edition, Ramaroson was motivated to create a documentary cinema festival for regional areas. "I always wanted to achieve this. In 2015, I organized a Tsapiky festival highlighting southern tsapiky music and cinema. In 2016-2017, we brought musicians and artists from various districts and rural communes of the Atsimo-Andrefana region. In 2019, personal reasons and the Covid period interrupted this momentum," the filmmaker detailed. His dormant idea resurfaced, leading to the Indian Ocean Film Festival on the Sea and Music, held July 9-11 in Toliara.
Grandious Screenings
Eight documentary films in Malagasy and French were screened at the Alliance française and Mangily. True large-scale projections featured cinema screens and, at Mangily, white fabric stretched and raised on poles planted in the sand. Children, youth, and adults attended. The public discovered films including "Feon'ala, le cri de la Terre" by Rolland Raman, a short fiction, and "Taste in the Sun," a documentary short by filmmaker Ary-Misa Rakotobe, depicting the life of Zafisolo, a goat herder and dairy producer in Antanimora district, Androy region, facing climate change effects.
"Alondrika Mangina – Silence des vagues" by Franco Clerc represented Madagascar. Réunion presented "Sombres couleurs" by Ophélie Galant, partly filmed in Madagascar. Mauritius showcased "Grat Lamer Pintir Lesliel," a documentary feature by David Constantin about fishermen and residents' reactions to the "Wakashio" shipwreck and resulting pollution. "Des enfants du kayamb," another short fiction, was also featured.
"Ciné-lives called 'Baobab des écumes' were organized at the 'Forêt des Baobabs' park in Mangily. It combined discovery, music, slam, dance, filmmaker and artist pitches like Jean Piso, and live filming within the park. A beautiful encounter between artists," festival director Ramaroson recounted.
Prospects
The "Patapata" restaurant-bar in the seaside village hosted tsapiky concerts, DJ entertainment, drum and guitar competitions. A musical aperitif introduced emerging artist "Adrien Rey." Organizers aimed to provide regional youth access to cinema careers and audiovisual training. A ciné-lab brought together about ten enthusiasts. Researcher Dr. Hervet Randriamady from Harvard T. H. Chan School participated.