I only have two complaints about Purple Rain, “Sex Shooter” isn’t on the soundtrack, and that it wasn’t called “Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red In It.” That’s the translated title of a sort-of Purple Rain remake titled Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai. The film, shot in Agadez, Niger, stars guitarist Mdou Moctar — yes, THE Mdou Moctar — and according to Kickstarter, it “tells the universal story of a musician trying to make it ‘against all odds,’ set against the backdrop of the raucous subculture of Tuareg guitar.”
Oh, so Inside Llewyn Davis meets Airheads? Why didn’t you just say that?
Akounak is not a documentary, but a stylized fictional tale with a story developed by Tuareg youth, written and produced for a Tuareg audience. Stylistically based on the model of Western rock-u-drama, the story has been written from the common experiences faced by Mdou and fellow musicians. The goal is to create a compelling story that is relevant and watchable by the Tuareg community. Most importantly, Akounak will be the first fiction film ever shot in the Tuareg language. Subtitles will be available in English and French.
Both a homage to Purple Rain and The Harder They Come, Akounak is based on the universal hero, the struggle of a musician to overcome a series of conflicts. (Via)
The crew is hoping to raise $12,000 to shoot Akounak, which is about the same amount of money Under the Cherry Moon made when it was released in 1986.
