Aicha Macky, Niger's taboo-breaking filmmaker

Even just being a woman in the film industry pushes boundaries -- too many have given up largely because of "the heavy gaze of society", the 43-year-old told AFP in an interview. Macky's determination has paid off. Trophies and distinctions adorning her new offices in a Niamey suburb attest to her success, which last year also brought an invitation to join the ranks of the Oscars Academy. The director is part of a new generation of filmmakers reviving Nigerien cinema after its bumper output years in the 1970s and 1980s.