Cinema of Madagascar

Malagasy film director Raymond Rajaonarivelo (born at Antananarivo, 1949).

Former cinemas Rex and Ritz in Antananarivo, 2013 (?).

The cinema of Madagascar refers to the film industry in Madagascar.

The most notable director is Raymond Rajaonarivelo, director of movies such as Quand Les Etoiles Rencontrent La Mer (When the Stars Meet the Sea, fr) and Tabataba (The Spreading of Rumors).

The oldest cinematographic production entirely produced in Madagascar by a Malagasy is a 22-minute black-and-white movie entitled Rasalama Martiora (Rasalama, the Martyr). Directed in 1937 by the deacon Philippe Raberojo, it marked the centenary of the death of the Protestant martyr Rafaravavy Rasalama. Philippe Raberojo was the president of an association of French citizens of Malagasy origin, where he had access to a 9.5mm camera. Thus he was able to realise his film. The complete version is lost.

In the following years there was considerable political upheaval in the country. In 1960 independence was regained in Madagascar, but political instability remains. This complicated post-colonial period led to the closure or transformation of the country's cinemas into places of religious worship.

The film industry started to recover slowly around the year 2006 also due to the founding of Rencontres du Film Court Madagascar, which is the only film festival in the country.

Around 60 short films and 1 or 2 feature films are made each year. Most Malagasy productions receive no public funding.

In the Malagasy language, the word “cinema” is translated “sarimihetsika” (mg) which literally means “moving image”.

Films

Year	Title	Director	Genre	Notes
1937	Rasalama maritiora (Rasalama, the Martyr)	Philippe Raberojo	Black and white documentary	Portrait of the protestant martyr Rasalama Rafaravavy (1810 – 1837) at the centenary of this death. 22 minutes.
1973	L'accident (The Accident)	Benoît Ramampy	Drama short	Best short film award Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), 1973. A son kills his father by accident.
1974	Very Remby	Ignace Solo Randrasana	Drama	Jean Soutter Award at Dinard Festival du film britannique (fr), France, 1974. 90 minutes.
1980	Fitampoha	Jacques Lombard and Jean-Claude Rahaga	Documentary	77 minutes.
1984	Dahalo, Dahalo, il était une fois le moyen ouest (Dahalo, Dahalo, Once upon a Time in the Midwest)	Benoît Ramampy	Drama	75 minutes.
1987	Ilo Tsy Very (Eternal Blessing)	Ignace Solo Randrasana	Drama	The story of Madagascar from 1895 to 1975, including the 1947 Malagasy Uprising. 90 minutes.
1988	Tabataba (fr)	Raymond Rajaonarivelo	Drama feature	Story of a small Malagasy village during the independence uprising. 76 minutes.
1989	Le Prix de la paix (The Price of Peace)	Abel Rakotozanany and Benoît Ramampy	Short drama	Shown at the African Film Festival in Montreal in 1988. 72 minutes.
1989	Angano... Angano... nouvelles de Madagascar	Marie-Clémence Paes, Cesar Paes	Documentary	Storytellers recount the Malagasy founding myths. 64 minutes.
1996	Quand les étoiles rencontrent la mer (When the Stars Meet the Sea, fr)	Raymond Rajaonarivelo	Drama	Depicts the Malagasy liberation struggle. Best Film award Istanbul Film Festival (1998). 86 minutes.
2001	Makibefo	Alexander Abela	Drama	Based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth. 73 minutes.
2004	Souli	Alexander Abela	Drama	Based on William Shakespeare's Othello. 94 minutes.
2004	Sur les murs de la ville (On the walls of the city, fr)	Fabrice Maminirina Razafindralambo	Short animation	The first Malagasy animation short film in official competition at Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2004, 5 minutes.
2005	Mahaleo (fr)	Marie-Clémence Paes and Raymond Rajaonarivelo	Documentary	Traces the history of Mahaleo, Madagascar's most popular folk-pop band. Best Documentary award at Regards sur le cinema du Sud, Rouen (fr), 2006. Public Award and second place at Festival du film insulaire de Groix (fr), 2005.
2006	The sun rises...then sets	Jiva Eric Razafindralambo	Short animation	Best Film Rencontres du Film Court Madagascar 2006.
2007	Raketa mena (fr)	Hery A. Rasolo	Documentary	Award Festival Ciné Sud de Cozès (Charente-Maritime). 52 minutes.
2007	Tafasiry	Toky Randriamahazosoa	Short	Best Film Rencontres du Film Court Madagascar 2007.
2010	Varavarankely	Sitraka Randriamahaly	Short	Best Animation Film Rencontres du Film Court Madagascar in 2010.
2011	Dzaomalaza et le saphir bleu (Dzaomalaza and the Blue Sapphire)	Andriamanisa Radoniaina and Mamihasina Raminosoa	Fiction feature	Dzaomalaza goes in search of a unique sapphire in Southern Madagascar in order to enrich himself. But three women are in his path. 60 minutes.
2012	Malagasy Mankany	Haminiaina Ratovoarivony	Road-movie	Diaspora Award Hollywood Black Film Festival 2013, USA. Audience Award Festival of African Cinema (then Festival Cine Africano Cordoba 2013, Spain), Youth Jury Award at Cinémas d'Afrique 2013, France. Africa Connexion Award at Vues d'Afrique film Festival 2014, Canada. Best feature film and best actress at Iarivo film festival 2014, Madagascar. Jury special mention Festival du Cinéma Africain de Khouribga 2013, Morocco. 93 minutes.
2012	La photographie - Sary Iray Tsy Nipika	David Randriamanana	Short	Second place FESPACO festival, Ouagadougou 2013. An old lady is waiting for her grandson. 18 minutes.
2013	Madame Esther	Luck Razanajaona	Short	Second prize Carthage Film Festival, Tunisia 2014. Second place FESPACO festival, Ouagadougou 2015. 15 minutes.
2014	Ady gasy	Lova Nantenaina	Documentary	Prix Fétnèt Ocean Indien at Festival international du film d'Afrique et des îles de La Réunion (FIFAI, fr), La Réunion. Grand Prix Eden Documentaire at Lumières d'Afrique (fr), Besançon. Mention spéciale du Jury documentaire at Festival Quintessence (Festival international du film de Ouidah, fr), Bénin. “The Chinese make things, the Malagasy fix them.” 84 minutes.
2014	Odyaina, fragments of lives	Laza Razanajatovo	Documentary	Shows the relationship between music and mental illness, through the work of some malagasy music therapist. 85 minutes.
2015	Fasa	Laza Razanajatovo	Short	We observe Fasa as she is coping with the loss of her father.
2019	Fahavalo, Madagascar 1947	Marie-Clémence Andriamonta-Paes	Historical war documentary	Doc of the World Award Montreal World Film Festival, Special Mention Carthage Film Festival. 90 minutes.
2022	Joe	Zo Tahiana Hariminoson	Thriller
2024	Disco Afrika : A Malagasy Story	Luck Razanajaona	Drama	Film selected at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the Generation competition.