Griots of Fire
A documentary film
Griots of Fire centers on the creation of KOKOBA, a temporary reading space in Abidjan organized according to the elements of nature. Conceived by literary curator Keren Lasme, the space challenges conventional systems of knowledge by arranging African literatures through earth, fire, water, air, and spirit.
Structured in chapters that mirror this elemental framework, the film examines reading as a collective act , one that shapes community, authorship, and cultural continuity. In documenting the making of the space, the film observes how contemporary griot practice emerges not as nostalgia, but as an active and evolving form.
Director’s Note
This film is situated within a broader landscape of African literary practice in Côte d’Ivoire. Beyond the reading room itself, it considers how storytelling continues to shape cultural life through study, workshops, and shared spaces dedicated to African texts.
KOKOBA exists within that wider movement. The film approaches it not as an isolated initiative, but as part of an ongoing effort to sustain, reinterpret, and circulate African literatures in contemporary contexts.