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Welcome on the Dani Kouyaté's official website!

Dani Kouyaté


Film & theater director, comedian and storyteller.

Hi, this is Dani Kouyaté


Dani Kouyaté was born in 1961 in Bobo-Dioulasso. He trained at the “Institut Africain d'Education Cinématographique” in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) before travelling to France for five years of study at the Sorbonne where he obtained a Master's degree in Cultural and Social Marketing. He also received a degree from the International School of Anthropology in Paris, and an advanced degree in Cinema from the Université Paris 8, Vincennes à Saint-Denis. After living in France for several years, he has now been living in Sweden since 2007.

From 1990 to 1996 Kouyaté toured the United States and Europe as part of "La Voix du Griot" ("Voice of the Griot"), a storytelling theater show founded by his father.
He began his film career in 1989 with the short film "Bilakoro", which was co-directed with Sékou Traoré and Issa Traoré de Brahima. In 1992 he founded the film production company “Sahelis Productions” with Sékou Traoré and Issa Traoré de Brahima. He directed a number of other short films before the release of his first full-length feature, "Keïta! l'Héritage du griot" in 1995. Keïta! received the Best First Film Prize from the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco) and was awarded the Junior Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 1999 he created several episodes of the Burkinabé television series "À nous la vie" (roughly "Let's grab life"). The second feature film Kouyaté directed was "Sia, le rêve du python", released in 2000. It operates simultaneously on three levels: as a visually compelling, exciting story set in a mythical past; as a political allegory, in which the events of the past are a continual commentary on Africa today; and as a rumination on the power and value of myth and legend. His father played the complexed role of General Wakhané.

In 2005 he directed "OuagaSaga", an urban comedy with teenagers from Ouagadougou. In 2013 he co-directed "Soleils" with Olivier Delahaye, a philosophical road movie dealing with African wisdom and historical relations between Africa and Europe. His first Swedish film "While we live" came out in 2015. It deals with identity issues in our globalized world.
His recent film "Katanga – The Dance of the Scorpions" which will be released in February 2025, is an African adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Dani Kouyaté teaches as well at Uppsala University at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology and at Uppsala "Wiks Folkhögskola" at the department of Film and Theater.

«Tout ce qui est enseigne en une parole muette. La forme est language, l'être est language, tout est language».

Works and activities


A broad experience in many domains.

Poster of the movie 'Katanga'
Katanga Timeless and universal story (2024) Watch the trailer
Conference at the'Sotigui Awards'
Conference at the "Sotigui Awards" Ouagadougou - Burkina Faso (2017)
Poster of the movie 'Medan vi lever'
Medan vi lever Drama comedy (2016) Watch the trailer
Poster of the documentary 'Femmes, entièrement Femmes'
Femmes, entièrement Femmes Documentary film (2014)
Conference at the Hamburg Panafrican Filmfestival
Conference at the Hamburg Panafrican Filmfestival Hamburg - Germany (2014)
Poster of the movie 'Soleils'
Soleils Historical fiction (2013) Watch the trailer
Scene of the play 'Ombre d'espoir'
Ombre d'espoir Theatre play (2012)
Workshop Mama Africa - Milano - Italy (2010)
Workshop Mama Africa Milano - Italy (2010)
Poster of the documentary 'Souvenirs encombrants d'une femme de ménage'
Souvenirs encombrants d'une femme de ménage Documentary film (2008)
Scene of the play En attendant Godot
En attendant Godot Theatre play (2007)
Conference at the 'Cinémathèque Française''
Conference at the "Cinémathèque Française" Paris - France (2007)
Workshop at the EVA (École Voie de l'Acteur) in Paris
Workshop at the EVA "École Voie de l'Acteur" Paris - France (2007)
Scene of the play 'Le prodige de Nora'
Le prodige de Nora Theatre play (2006)
Poster of the documentary 'Joseph Ki-Zerbo'
Joseph Ki-Zerbo Documentary film (2005)
Poster of the movie 'Ouaga Saga'
Ouaga Saga Comedy (2004)
Scene of the play 'Non si paga!'
Non si paga! Theatre play (2004)
'Männergold'
Männergold Theatre play (2003)
Dani Kouyaté and Sotigui Kouyaté before a show with La Voix du Griot
Dani Kouyaté and Sotigui Kouyaté before a show with "La Voix du Griot" Turino - Italy (2003)
'Petit Bodiel'
Petit Bodiel Theatre play (2001)
Poster of the movie 'Sia, le rêve du python'
Sia, le rêve du python Historical fiction / Drama (2000)
Iphigenia auf Tauris
Iphigenia auf Tauris Theatre play (1997)
Zen Oyem
Zen Oyem Theatre play (1996)
Men and Mices
Men and Mices Theatre play (1996)
Poster of the movie 'Keïta! l'Héritage du griot'
Keïta! l'Héritage du griot Historical fiction (1995)
Il Sogno della Farfalla
Il Sogno della Farfalla Theatre play (1995)
Poster of the movie 'Les larmes sacrées du crocodile'
Les larmes sacrées du crocodile Short film (1992)
Poster of the movie 'Tobbere Kossam'
Tobbere Kossam Short film (1991)
Poster of the movie 'Bilakoro'
Bilakoro Short film (1989)

«Je suis guinéen d'origine, malien de naissance et burkinabè d'adoption. Je ne suis passé par aucune école de théâtre, si ce n'est la grande école de la rue, de la vie».

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«En Afrique quand un vieillard meurt, c'est une bibliothèque qui brûle».