From infertility struggles to the shape of a woman's body, award-winning filmmaker Aicha Macky tackles issues considered taboo in Niger's conservative society.

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.

Her career, however, has not been without pitfalls.

"We live in quite a conservative society and it takes a l

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