- Title: War-hit Cameroonian town holds film festival as movies get Netflix boost
- Date: 23rd April 2021
- Summary: BUEA, CAMEROON (APRIL 20, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DIRECTOR OF THE FISHERMAN'S DIARY RENE ETTA GIVING A FILMMAKING CLASS ORGANISED BY THE FESTIVAL STUDENT LISTENING ETTA GIVING LECTURE STUDENT LISTENING STUDENT TAKING NOTES CLASS IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE FISHERMAN'S DIARY, RENE ETTA, SAYING: "Before the pandemic, we had the crisis (separatists co
- Embargoed: 7th May 2021 11:01
- Keywords: anglophone region cameroon cinema covid film festival
- Location: BUE AND LIMBE, CAMEROON
- City: BUE AND LIMBE, CAMEROON
- Country: Cameroon
- Topics: Africa,Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA003E9QSGGN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Filmmakers and actors gathered in the western Cameroon town of Buea for a film festival this week, as the region tries to regain a measure of normalcy despite an ongoing secessionist conflict.
The Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF), was cancelled in 2019 and 2020 because of the conflict between state forces and English-speaking rebels as well as the coronavirus pandemic.
The return edition this year features two Cameroonian films that have been bought by U.S. streaming service Netflix.
"I mean I am elated, I am so excited. This is something that has been long coming. We have been waiting for it and for it to finally materialize and we have our movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and all the big platforms, I could that Is a very big breakthrough for the Cameroon film industry. I am so happy," said actress Damarise Ndamo, who plays a teacher in Fisherman's Diary, one of the films bought by Netflix.
Cameroon's two western Anglophone regions have been gripped by fighting since 2017 as the rebels try to break away from the predominantly Francophone country. More than 3,500 people have died and 700,000 have been displaced in the violence.
A fragile calm has reigned in Buea during the festival, which runs from Monday to Saturday. The 400-seat cinema where the films were screened was filled to capacity on opening night. Hardly anyone came in 2018 for fear of violence.
"Before the pandemic, we had the crisis (separatists conflict), okay. It shut down a lot of projects and people were thrown into jail. We still have filmmakers in prison until date because their opinions were misunderstood or their opinions went against one person or the other with the power to put wherever they were placed," said The Fisherman's Diary director Rene Etta who was giving a moviemaking masterclass organised by the festival.
Etta shot the movie 'The Fisherman's Diary' in Limbe in 2019. The Netflix bought drama is about a young Cameroonian girl determined to go to school, which was inspired by the story of Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.
"This movie has a very very vital message that talks about girl child education, which is a very sensitive topic that a lot of societies today still go through. So me playing teacher Bibi, who is this motivational teacher who comes in to bring in light into the life of this girl who's Eka, to achieve her dreams, to go back to school, to achieve an education for herself. That was a big big big role for me to play," said Ndamo.
Etta is now counting on the growth of the cinema industry in Cameroon to encourage a younger generation of filmmakers
"We can now comfortably tell our children 'if you like cinematography. You want to films. Go ahead and do it, because there is a future. There is a possibility you can make a living out of it.'"
Most films made in Cameroon are made in the Anglophone regions, which is also known as the country's tech and start-up hub. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None