search the africa institute site
On Sunday, December 10, 2023, Bard College hosted a virtual session titled, “Conversation: On France, Niger, Uranium, and Nuclear Power”, featuring filmmaker Idrissou Mora-Kpai and historian Carina Ray.
The session was organized by several academic programs and centers at Bard, including the Center for Civic Engagement, the Center for Human Rights and the Arts, the Dean of the College, the French Studies Program, the Historical Studies Program, the Human Rights Program, and the Science, Technology, and Society Program.
The conversation was moderated by Professor Tabetha Ewing, Associate Professor of History, Historical Studies at Bard, and focused on the history and politics of France-Niger relations, especially in relation to uranium mining and nuclear power. Mora-Kpai and Professor Ray discussed Mora-Kpai’s documentary film, “Arlit: Deuxième Paris”, which explores the environmental and social impacts of uranium extraction in the Sahara Desert of Niger, a former French colony. The film, which was released in 2005, depicts the lives of the inhabitants of Arlit, a mining town that was once a prosperous and cosmopolitan center, but has since become a polluted and impoverished site of exploitation and resistance.
Mora-Kpai, who is a Guggenheim Fellow for Film & Video and Okwui Enewzor Fellow at The Africa Institute in Sharjah, UAE, shared his personal and professional motivations for making the film, as well as the challenges and opportunities he faced in the process. He also talked about his current and future projects, which include a documentary on the border town of Seme between Nigeria and Benin, and a feature drama on the African colonial soldiers who fought in the Indochina war.
Ray, who is the A.M. and H.P. Bentley Chair in African History and an Associate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, provided a historical and critical context for Mora-Kpai’s film, as well as a broader perspective on the role of uranium and nuclear power in the global economy and geopolitics. Ray was also the co-convenor of The Africa Institute’s second country-focused program, Global Ghana (2021-2022).
The session was well-attended by students, faculty, and staff from Bard and other institutions, as well as members of the public. The audience engaged in a lively and insightful Q&A session with the speakers, covering topics such as the recent coup d’état in Niger, the environmental and health consequences of uranium mining, the cultural and artistic expressions of the people of Arlit, and the ethical and political implications of nuclear power.
The session was recorded and is available for viewing on the Bard College website.
Mora-Kpai’s film, “Arlit: Deuxième Paris”, can be accessed on his personal website.
On Sunday, December 10, 2023, Bard College hosted a virtual session titled, “Conversation: On France, Niger, Uranium, and Nuclear Power”, featuring filmmaker Idrissou Mora-Kpai and historian Carina Ray.
On Sunday, December 10, 2023, Bard College hosted a virtual session titled, “Conversation: On France, Niger, Uranium, and Nuclear Power”, featuring filmmaker Idrissou Mora-Kpai and historian Carina Ray.
The session was organized by several academic programs and centers at Bard, including the Center for Civic Engagement, the Center for Human Rights and the Arts, the Dean of the College, the French Studies Program, the Historical Studies Program, the Human Rights Program, and the Science, Technology, and Society Program.
The conversation was moderated by Professor Tabetha Ewing, Associate Professor of History, Historical Studies at Bard, and focused on the history and politics of France-Niger relations, especially in relation to uranium mining and nuclear power. Mora-Kpai and Professor Ray discussed Mora-Kpai’s documentary film, “Arlit: Deuxième Paris”, which explores the environmental and social impacts of uranium extraction in the Sahara Desert of Niger, a former French colony. The film, which was released in 2005, depicts the lives of the inhabitants of Arlit, a mining town that was once a prosperous and cosmopolitan center, but has since become a polluted and impoverished site of exploitation and resistance.
Mora-Kpai, who is a Guggenheim Fellow for Film & Video and Okwui Enewzor Fellow at The Africa Institute in Sharjah, UAE, shared his personal and professional motivations for making the film, as well as the challenges and opportunities he faced in the process. He also talked about his current and future projects, which include a documentary on the border town of Seme between Nigeria and Benin, and a feature drama on the African colonial soldiers who fought in the Indochina war.
Ray, who is the A.M. and H.P. Bentley Chair in African History and an Associate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, provided a historical and critical context for Mora-Kpai’s film, as well as a broader perspective on the role of uranium and nuclear power in the global economy and geopolitics. Ray was also the co-convenor of The Africa Institute’s second country-focused program, Global Ghana (2021-2022).
The session was well-attended by students, faculty, and staff from Bard and other institutions, as well as members of the public. The audience engaged in a lively and insightful Q&A session with the speakers, covering topics such as the recent coup d’état in Niger, the environmental and health consequences of uranium mining, the cultural and artistic expressions of the people of Arlit, and the ethical and political implications of nuclear power.
The session was recorded and is available for viewing on the Bard College website.
Mora-Kpai’s film, “Arlit: Deuxième Paris”, can be accessed on his personal website.
Subscribe to our mailing list and get the latest news from The Africa Institute
