16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence: Elvire Adjamonsi - Bangui, unité spéciale | Bangui, special unit - Première série africaine mettant en scène la lutte contre les violences sexuelles ou sexistes | First African series featuring the fight against sexual or gender-based violence

16 Days of Activism against

Gender Based Violence

 

Elvire Adjamonsi

Bangui, unité spéciale  | Bangui, special unit - 

 

Première série africaine mettant en scène la lutte contre les violences sexuelles ou sexistes | First African series featuring the fight against sexual or gender-based violence

A TV series by Elvire ADJAMONSI

Republic of Congo / Benin, TV series, detective, 400 minutes, 2019

The series "Bangui Special Unit" is a 20 x 40 minute series whose main plot is the resolution of crimes and other offenses related to gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse as well as forced marriages and excision.

Regina, the main character of this series, witnesses the rape and kidnapping of her young sister, losing all contact with her. When she learned of the existence of the Bangui Special Unit, she did everything possible to get hired, as it was the only way to stay in close contact to her sister, in order to better understand what she had suffered. In addition it enable her to trace her sister and possibly save her if she is still alive. To this end, she is involved in solving all the crimes and offenses related to gender-based violence and exploitation and sexual abuse that are entrusted to her.

 

***

Une série TV de Elvire ADJAMONSI

République du Congo / Bénin, série TV, policier, 400 minutes, 2019

La série "Bangui Unité Spéciale" est une série de 20 x 40 minutes dont l'intrigue principale sera la résolution des crimes et autres délits liés aux Violences Basées sur le Genre, l'Exploitation et les Abus Sexuels ainsi qu'aux mariages forcés et à l'excision.

Régina, le personnage principal de cette série a été témoin du viol et de l'enlèvement de sa jeune soeur dont elle n'a plus de nouvelles. Lorsqu'elle a appris l'existence de l'Unité Spéciale de Bangui, elle a tout fait pour se faire embaucher, car pour elle c'est la seule manière de rester proche de sa soeur, de mieux comprendre ce qu'elle a subi et aussi d'avoir des pistes afin de retrouver sa trace et la sauver, si elle est encore vivante. A cet effet, elle prend à coeur toutes les affaires d'élucidation de crimes et délits liés aux VBG/EAS qui lui sont confiées.

Anne-Bertille Ndeysseit Vopiande: Boyi-biyo (double poumon) | Meat Pusher - FESPACO 2021

FESPACO 2021
Short documentary in competition
Anne-Bertille Ndeysseit Vopiande
Boyi-biyo (Double Poumon) | Meat Pusher
République centrafricaine | Central African Republic
28min - Documentary - 2020

 

 

Synopsis
Shilo is a meat courier. His job is to go to the slaughterhouse, pile great hunks of meat on his trolley and push them through the hectic city, running barefoot. It’s a harsh job with scarce income. But Shilo has a dream. He wants to become a professional marathon runner.
Source: https://www.bertafilm.com/catalogue-film/distribution/documentary/meat-pusher/

On les appelle Boyi biyo, ou double poumon, ce sont les pousseurs de viande. Chaque matin, ils attendent à l'abattoir qu'on remplisse leur pousse de grands quartiers de viande avant de courir à travers la ville jusque chez leur patron boucher. Shilo est l'un d'eux. Il court, il court. Il a un rêve : gagner le marathon de Bangui.

Bio
Born in Bangui, Anne-Bertille Ndeysseit Vopiande studied Human Resources Management at the University. After graduation, in 2017, she participated in the first Varan workshop in the Central African Republic during which she directed her first documentary short I a wali. In 2018, as an assistant electrician, she took part in the shooting of the film Camille by Boris Lojkine. In 2018-2019, she participated in the second Varan workshop, during which she directed her second documentary film Boyi biyo - Double lung

Née à Bangui, Anne-Bertille Ndeysseit Vopiande a étudié la Gestion des Ressources Humaines à l’Université. Après sa licence, en 2017, elle participe au premier atelier Varan en République Centrafricaine pendant laquelle elle réalise son premier court-métrage documentaire I a wali. En 2018, elle participe au tournage du film Camille de Boris Lojkine, comme assistante électricienne. En 2018-2019, elle participe au deuxième atelier Varan et réalise dans ce cadre son deuxième film documentaire Boyi biyo - Double poumon.

Source: https://ateliersvaran.com/fr/reseau/annuaire/anne-bertille-ndeysseit-vopiande_6011

Mis Me Binga 2018 – Pascale Appora-Gnekindy : Mes yeux pour entendre | My eyes for hearing (République Centrafricaine | Central African Republic)

MIS ME BINGA 2018

Court métrage | Short

Fiction

Mes yeux pour entendre

(My eyes for hearing)

Pascale Appora-Gnekindy

(République Centrafricaine |

Central African Republic)

SYNOPSIS

[English]

"He is a deaf boy in a family that loves him very much. He is raised by his grandmother, and despite his disability, he lives a normal life like any other child. So he plays with his brothers at home, he does housework, he goes to the deaf school, he also goes to the worship service where everything is translated into sign language. He has a normal life".—Pascale Appora-Gnekindy

(Translated from French)

[Français]
« Il s’agit d’un petit garçon sourd qui, étant sourd, est dans une famille qui l’aime beaucoup. Il est élevé par sa grand-mère. Et malgré son handicap, il vit comme tous les autres enfants. Il vit une vie normale. Donc, il joue avec ses frères à la maison, il effectue des tâches ménagères. Il va à l’école des sourds. Il va aussi au culte au cours duquel l’on traduit tout en langue des signes. Donc, il a une vie normale ». —Pascale Appora-Gnekindy

Source : https://www.voaafrique.com/a/de-nouveaux-realisateurs-sur-le-marche-du-cinema-centrafricain/4171697.html

PROFILE | PROFIL

[English]

Pascale Appora-Gnekindy was among the ten filmmakers trained in 2017 at the Alliance Française in Bangui. They presented their documentary films to the public in December 2017. The screening was part of the "Filming the World Festival." In seven weeks of training, 10 filmmakers produced 10 documentary films; fascinating stories shot in and around Bangui. (Translated from French)

[Français]

Pascale Appora-Gnekindy était parmi les dix cinéastes formés en 2017 à l'Alliance française de Bangui. Ils ont présenté leurs films documentaires au public en decembre 2017. La projection faite dans le cadre du "Festival Filmer le Monde. En sept semaines de formation, 10 réalisateurs ont pu produire 10 films documentaires. Des histoires fascinantes tournées à Bangui et dans sa périphérie.

Source : https://www.voaafrique.com/a/de-nouveaux-realisateurs-sur-le-marche-du-cinema-centrafricain/4171697.html

Mis Me Binga 2018 – Pascale Gaby Serra : Zone III (Central African Republic | République Centrafricaine)

MIS ME BINGA 2018

Documentary | Documentaire

Zone III

Pascale Gaby Serra
Central African Republic | République Centrafricaine

Palmarès | Awards 
Prix spécial du jury

SYNOPSIS

[English]
Zone III is a documentary about refugees and internally displaced persons in M'Poko, the largest IDP camp located in Bangui, Central African Republic.

[Français]
Zone III est un documentaire sur les réfugiés et les personnes déplacées dans M'Poko, le plus grand camp de personnes déplacées situé à Bangui, en République centrafricaine.


BIOGRAPHY | BIOGRAPHIE

[English]
Pascale Gabriella Serra was born in Bangui, Central African Republic.
After working for 2 years as a TV presenter for a private television channel in Cotonou, Benin, she went to Paris to study audiovisual communication and obtained a diploma for director assistant at the Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma Français de Paris in 2006.

For several years, she worked for non-governmental organizations and associations producing institutional films. These achievements allowed her the opportunity to work on film productions in Benin, Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, France and the United States where she won an award, the "Leadership Award" in September 2007 at Carnegie Hall in New York.

In 2009, she directed twenty 15-minute news stories on the programme "Franco Tempo" that were broadcast at the Alliance Française de Bangui as well as on the Central African Republic TV channel, as part of the Semaine de la Francophonie (Francophone Week). Wanting to show another image of her country, contrary to the negative stereotypes generated by war and violence, she directed her first documentary: Bêafrîka in January 2015. This documentary was produced by the association IllustrO France that she founded in 2013, with the help of private sponsors.

[Français]
Pascale Gabriella Serra est née à Bangui, en République Centrafricaine.
Après avoir travaillé pendant 2 ans en qualité d’animatrice TV pour une chaîne de télévision privée à Cotonou, au Bénin, elle se rend à Paris afin de suivre une formation en audiovisuel et obtient le diplôme d’assistant-réalisateur au Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma Français de Paris en 2006.

Pendant plusieurs années, elle a travaillé pour des organisations non gouvernementales et des associations en réalisant des films institutionnels. Ces réalisations l’ont menée pour des tournages au Bénin, au Mali, au Sénégal, en Mauritanie, en France et aux Etats-Unis où elle a décroché un prix, celui du « Leadership Award » en septembre 2007 au Carnegie Hall à New-York.

En 2009, elle a réalisé 20 reportages de 15 minutes « Franco Tempo » qui ont été diffusés à l’Alliance Française de Bangui ainsi que sur la chaîne de télé centrafricaine, dans le cadre de la Semaine de la Francophonie. Désireuse de montrer une autre image de son pays, la République Centrafricaine, loin des clichés négatifs suscités par la guerre et les violences, elle réalise en janvier 2015, son premier documentaire: Bêafrîka. Ce documentaire a été produit par l’association IllustrO France qu’elle fonde en 2013 avec l’aide de mécènes privés.

(Source : http://smile-rca.com/pascale-serra/)

Interview with actress Prudence Maïdou by Djia Mambu | Entretien de Djia Mambu avec Prudence Maïdou, actrice

Interview with actress Prudence Maïdou by Djia Mambu | Entretien de Djia Mambu avec Prudence Maïdou, actrice 

Translated from French by Beti Ellerson, a collaboration with Africine.org. Photo: Vincent Bloch. Africine.org

En français : http://www.africine.org/?menu=art&no=12721 

Prudence Maïdou, French actress, choreographer, and dancer of Central African Republic origin, interprets Salla, the protagonist of Dakar Trottoirs by Hubert Laba Ndao (Senegal). Her first role in a feature fiction earned her the Best Actress Award at the African Film Festival of Khouribga (Morocco) in June 2014. Prudence Maïdou plays the role of Sweet Thing in the series Les veuves Noires, “The Black Widows”, developed and produced by Ivorian Alex Ogou, alongside BAMS (Saffronia), Mata Gabin (Peaches), Tella Kpomahou (Aunt Sara), Jean-Michel MARTIAL (Pastor Jonah). She was on set for the shooting of the pilot of the TV series (Blue Palace) in Marrakech, Morocco in the summer of 2014, under the direction of Kamal Kamal, with Isaline Ponroy, Bernard Farcy, Eriq Ebouaney, Bruno Henry, Paco Perez.

Interview with one of the rising stars of cinema.

Djia Mambu: After Dialemi by Nadine Otsobogo (Bronze Stallion, 2013 FESPACO, Best Short Film at the African AMAA 2013) here you are starring in a Senegalese thriller. This confirms that cinema has become definitively part of your artistic career.

Prudence Maïdou: As an actress in France, it is not easy to find roles on that level. There are very few for black people, much less for black women. So when I read the script, I just wanted to tell myself that it is I who will play this role. I even had the nerve to call the casting director and say, "No matter who you call in France, no one can play this role better than me!" (Laughter). They took me at my word, they had me come for a tryout and hurled at me: "We will go with you!". Yes, it was a bit risky, my portfolio was not very extensive, just a few television appearances, dance performances, etc.

Djia Mambu: How does one get involved in such a project that is shot entirely in a foreign country and in a

foreign language?

Prudence Maïdou: I came with a group that had been already working together for two years; because at the beginning, the crew had recruited young actors for training. I had joined the project, following a reading in Paris, during a trip by the producer Moctar Ndiouga Bâ,

Fortunately, I know Senegal, it is my adopted country that I am very fond of. Arriving there, I said to Charles Correa, who plays Siirou, although I do not understand, it would be nice to talk to me in Wolof. I asked him to take me around Dakar to better immerse myself, so we spent a lot of time together.

Djia Mambu: Salla is your first major film role, how did you get into the character?

Prudence Maïdou: I had no choice but to totally immerse myself into the character. But there is a part of me that I recognized in Salla. I was born in Africa [Central African Republic], I come from a humble background. I had the experience of seeing young people in the street into drugs and alcohol. I had these images ingrained in my mind. It helped me a great deal in working on my character.

Djia Mambu: She is a strong and complex character, a young black woman who takes the lead in her relationship and her gang. It is she who assumes the central role, rather unusual, no?

Prudence Maïdou: Salla constantly seeks her freedom. No matter what, she knows she will find a way out. As a child she was given a gold ring that she keeps around her neck, that is visible throughout the film. It is her hope, she knows that she will become someone. Even though she hangs out in the street, one sees that she will not end up there. Though at the moment she is in her squat with her gang, it is because she has no choice.

She grew up with Siirou who introduces her to this grandmother who raises most of these street youth. For Siirou it is clear that Salla will become his wife. But she dreams of another life, living in a big house, owning a Mercedes, with a chauffeur. And she arrives at the moment when she can no longer continue with Siirou and wants to fly with her own wings. Which Siirou cannot understand...

Links:

Djia Mambu: Alice Diop’s "Towards Tenderness" (Vers la Tendresse) and "La Permanence" 

Djia Mambu : Meanwhile, They’re filming… | En attendant, Elles tournent…, report on the/compte rendu : Elles Tournent, 2016

Djia Mambu: A committed writer at the service of Africulture | Une plume engagée au service d’Africulture

Interview with/avec Nadia Ben Rachid, by/par Djia Mambu