How a New Burkinabè Political Series Was Put Together — Watch Episode 1

TV5MONDE began rolling out "Une femme à Kosyam" ("A Woman at Kosyam") across its African television service on March 8, 2026, following its release on TV5MONDE+ on March 4, 2026. The new Burkinabé series, which world-premiered in competition in the Series section at FESPACO 2025, is a 7 x 52-minute political thriller. TV5MONDE describes it as a series about a woman who becomes president of Burkina Faso and must govern under pressure amid political manipulation, corruption, and foreign interests surrounding newly discovered oil. It's created, directed, and produced in Ouagadougou by Serge Armel Sawadogo and his company Sermel Films.

I came across "Une femme à Kosyam" in a TV5MONDE segment tied to International Women's Day on March 8. It features Sawadogo and the series's star, Georgette Paré. While the premise and the general conversation around the drama were genuinely engaging, the discussion of how the project was assembled and financed — particularly as it relates to Burkina Faso and broader francophone Africa — caught my attention.