14/08
Het Bos
Ankerrui 5-7, Antwerp
This program focuses on two filmmakers from Cameroon, who, in an entirely own way, portray the love for their mother and the cultural differences between Cameroon and Northwestern Europe.
Rosine Mbakam - ‘Les deux visages d’une femme Bamiléké’ (2017, 76’)
20:30
After finishing her film studies in Belgium, Rosine Mbakam returns to Cameroon with her son and a camera to shine a light on a dark part of her memories. Liberated from her traditional upbringing and now a mother herself, she views the life of a Cameroonian woman through different eyes. In conversations between mother and daughter, mother Bamiléké tells about her arranged marriage, life with a second wife in the family, the endless work at the market and hiding from the French occupation in the jungle. Despite this suffering, Mbakam finds a positive note: the union of women who support each other in (financially) dire times. Mbakam shows the faces of these organised women and celebrates their strength in this way.
+ Film of choice: ‘Les empreintes Douloureuses’ (2015, 18’) - Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
Nathalie is a young French woman from Cameroon who wrestles with her appearance. When Nathalie’s mother Josette stays with her in Toulouse, their cultural differences emerge. Even though it is against Josette’s will, Nathalie still decides to undergo nose surgery.