One of the first directors from Burkina Faso, among the world's poorest nations, to gain international attention. After graduating from the film institute of the University of Ouagadougou, Ouedraogo began to make short films under the auspices of the Burkina Faso government. After several of these ("Les Ecuelles" 1983, "Issa le Tisserand" 1985) won international awards, Ouedraogo successfully ventured into feature-length films co-produced with French and/or Swiss support. His "Yam Daabo/The Choice" (1986), about a desert family's migration to more fertile land, and "Yaaba/Grandmother" (1989), exploring the friendship which develops between a young boy and an old woman scorned by their village, won similar acclaim and are distinguished by their concern for the frailty of the rural impoverished and a skillful mixture of reality and folk mythology.