Rain the Colour Blue With a Little Red In It. Let that title sink in for a bit. It’s the name of Christopher Kirkley’s West African re-imagining of Purple Rain.
If you ever wondered just how far Prince’s influence stretches — wonder no more. The Purple one has inspired artists, musicians, and filmmakers across the globe. Purple Rain, Prince’s self-mythologising rock opera based loosely on his own journey to stardom, has now been remade in the Saharan state of Niger. And strangely, it’s weirder than the original. “Dig if you will a picture…”
Real life guitarist Mdou Moctar and non-actors from the city of Agadez star in this delightful film that cheekily takes its inspiration from Prince’s Purple Rain.
Casting a familiar tale – the pursuit of musicianship against all odds, the film follows Mdou who, armed with guitar and motorbike, navigates through parental objections, rival musicians and infatuation as he prepares for a music competition.
