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‘Films that don't seem Cameroonian’: professional video making and self-styling among Douala youth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2019

Giovanna Santanera
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Abstract

This article discusses youth cultural production in contemporary Africa, analysing the videos of Douala, which are often called ‘films that don't seem Cameroonian’. Most contemporary African videos dramatize everyday life, telling didactic stories that are very close to ordinary people's experiences. As such, they have been interpreted as forms of African popular art. Films that don't seem Cameroonian, however, break with this dominant trend. Directors and actors openly quote international hits and are more interested in transcending the local context than in dramatizing (and moralizing) it. Inserting this production into Douala society, this article deals with the youths’ desire to escape their everyday situations and connect with the global arena. It also considers the failures of this ambition, as their poor finances and infrastructural challenges bind them to a much more restricted horizon of possibilities. Video filmmaking in Cameroon is both a source of empowerment and prestige and a sign of marginality and powerlessness. The article concludes with an account of the cultural work at the core of videos that are syncretic and urban, but only partially ascribable to other experiences of African popular art.

Résumé

Cet article traite de la production culturelle des jeunes en Afrique contemporaine, en analysant la production vidéo de Douala, souvent décrite comme des « films qui ne semblent pas camerounais ». La plupart des films vidéos africains contemporains mettent en scène la vie quotidienne et racontent des histoires didactiques très proches du vécu des gens ordinaires. En cela, on les a interprétés comme des formes d'art populaire africain. Les films qui ne semblent pas camerounais, en revanche, rompent avec cette tendance dominante. Les réalisateurs et les acteurs citent ouvertement des succès internationaux et préfèrent transcender le contexte local que de le mettre en scène (et le moraliser). En insérant cette production dans la société de Douala, cet article traite du désir des jeunes d’échapper à leur quotidien et de se connecter à l'arène mondiale. Il s'intéresse aussi aux échecs de cette ambition car le manque de financement et les difficultés infrastructurelles les cantonnent à un horizon de possibilités plus restreint. La production vidéo au Cameroun est à la fois une source de renforcement des moyens d'action et de prestige, et un signe de marginalité et d'impuissance. Cet article conclut en rendant compte du travail culturel qui est au cœur des films qui sont syncrétiques et urbains, mais qui ne sont que partiellement imputables à d'autres expériences d'art populaire africain.

Type
Film production in Cameroon
Information
Africa , Volume 89 , Issue 1 , February 2019 , pp. 165 - 186
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 2019 

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