Moi, un noir (1958) + Les Maîtres fous (1955)

Moi, un noir, 1958 — Jean Rouch, Ivory Coast/France (76′)

Two young Nigerians leave the rurality of their homeland to look for work in the Ivory Coast, still under French rule. In this ethnofiction or ethnographic docufiction, Jean Rouch applies the principles of what he called “shared anthropology”, encouraging those involved to represent themselves. Admirers of mass cinema and boxing, they give themselves fictitious names, thus forging an ideal identity, using American films and their references, which populate the collective imagination. Thus, the protagonist adopts the name of the American actor Edward G. Robinson to construct the narrative of his daily life, which he tells in voice-over as he visualises the images filmed by Jean Rouch, mixing reality and fiction.

Les Maîtres fous, 1955 — Jean Rouch, Nigeria/France (29′)

The short film Les Maîtres fous (1955), by the same director, shows us the rituals practised in Ghana by the Haouka, a group of immigrants from Nigeria. During the ceremonies, held annually, they embody and mimic the figures of colonial power, in a state of trance, as if possessed by ancient demons. Between choreographies and purges, the colonial trauma is unveiled, laying bare the arch-secular violence embedded in bodies and minds.

Lucky Star — Cineclube de Braga
Lúcio Craveiro da Silva Library
R. de São Paulo 1, 4700-042 Braga

Tickets:

General public: €3
Cineclube members: Free entry
Students and BLCS users: €1

More information at facebook.com/cinebraga