The purpose of the African Women in Cinema Blog is to provide a space to discuss diverse topics relating to African women in cinema--filmmakers, actors, producers, and all film professionals. The blog is a public forum of the Centre for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema.
Le Blog sur les femmes africaines dans le cinéma est un espace pour l'échange d'informations concernant les réalisatrices, comédiennes, productrices, critiques et toutes professionnelles dans ce domaine. Ceci sert de forum public du Centre pour l'étude et la recherche des femmes africaines dans le cinémas.
Director/Directrice, Centre for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema | Centre pour l'étude et la recherche des femmes africaines dans le cinéma
A Celebration of Black History Month At Portland Community College 4 February - 5 March 2022
The Cascade Festival of African Films is held in Portland, Oregon USA. The closing week of the festival features Women Filmmakers Week, which includes retrospectives, tributes and recently released short and feature films:
The Cascade Festival of African Films shows us Africa through the eyes of Africans, rather than a vision of Africa packaged for Western viewers. The films celebrate Africa’s achievements, expose its failures, and reveal possibilities for a hopeful future. Although the films cannot represent an entire continent, we hope to encourage American viewers to become interested in and study African cultures. Text and image source: Cascade Festival of African Films. Festival poster by Jordin Garcia Portillo
The 2020 lineup of films with hyperlinks to Women Filmmakers Week selections
Sisters of the Screen, the title of my ongoing project on African women in cinema, invokes the notion of a kinship shared through screen culture. Within this "sisterhood" are also experiences of sisters who have biological relationships. They come together as collaborators on film productions, protagonists in films, daughters of a famous filmmaker mother--keeping her torch alive.
Annouchka de Andrade and Henda Ducados, the daughters of Sarah Maldoror (1929-2020) are continuing the work of the existing Archives that Sarah created which entails retaining rights, recovering and restoring copies of films. Their objective is to ensure that Sarah's work continues to be visible and that the archives are available to all. Their heartfelt reflections on her as "filmmaker, woman and mother" provide a rare portrait both intimate and holistic, of Sarah's life; and at the same time, demonstrate the indelible mark she has left on them as daughters--children of cinema. Two sisters who in their own lives and work, continue their mother's journey to have "an impact on this world"…"always moving forward".
Similarly, Senegalese sister filmmakers Khady Sylla and Mariama Sylla, who collaborated on seven films together, were in many ways, "children of African cinema". Their mother worked at the secretariat of the Actualités Sénégalaises under the direction of Paulin Sumanou Vieyra, a breeding ground and site for the development of the young Senegalese cinema of the period. Nicknamed “Katanga”, it was the venue of hot debates about cinema and other cinematic trends--realism versus Soviet, Italian neorealism, New Wave, Brazil Novo Cinema.... (Translation, cited from Baba Diop, in French)
In her interview, journalist/film critic Djia Mambu asks Mariama Sylla about her experiences working with her sister Khady Sylla, who passed away in October 2013 and to what extent her passing influenced the ending of the film:
Mariama Sylla responded in this way:
"I started working with my sister at the age of 17; she is the one who trained me and introduced me to cinema and scriptwriting. The person I am today is the result of this long journey with Khady, the first-born of our family. I am the youngest and she and I often laughed about being at these two ends, despite the difference in age and education, we were able to come together."
"Khady's passing greatly influenced the final voice-over in the film but the visual editing is the same, as we had completed it just before her death. There are two voices in the film. The first is Khady’s, which was done in her presence, and the second is mine, which I wrote while finalising the film. I went through a moment of shock and anger, then slowly, the phrase in Césaire's work Notebook of a Return to My Native Land was constantly in my thoughts, and all this anger turned into a desire to write about my sister, to tell her a final goodbye, and this is how my voice was laid down in the film."
The film A simple parole was completed after Khady's death. In spirit, the two sisters continued their work together.
Belgian-Congolese sisters Cecile Mulombe Mbombe—cinematographer, and Pauline Mulombe—filmmaker, collaborated on their first joint project, the short film, Tout le monde a des raisons d'en vouloir à sa mère (Everyone has Reasons to be Angry with her Mother). While they have assisted each other on their respective work, this is the first time that they made a film together. They selected the sets and filming locations and did the storyboard together, while Cecile dealt with the technical side—the choice of the technical crew, the equipment and all of the tasks that entailed transforming the script to the realization of the film and Pauline focused on the creative side, hence, her ideas are represented on screen—in terms of her vision of the actors’ roles, the film set, the mise-en scène. Their proximity as sisters provided an immediate level of confidence and understanding in each other. Pauline emphasizes this point: "Only Cecile could know that when I said 'green', in fact, I meant 'blue'." Moreover, Tout le monde a des raisons d'en vouloir à sa mère follows the experiences of three sisters who were born and raised in Europe though their mother insists on raising them based on African values. In our interview, Pauline had this to say about the three sisters:
"The youngest wants to enjoy herself and grow and develop by making the most of European social and cultural life. The middle sister wants to utilize all of the possibilities available to resolve her problems, even if it means doing things that are unthinkable in her culture of origin, such as taking the birth control pill when still an adolescent. The oldest, even if she does not openly show her homosexuality, knows that she is 100% gay."
The daughters at the same time negotiate their relationship with their mother while attempting to understand each other as sisters and as young African women living in Belgium.
Mary-Noël Niba'a comedy series "Jane and Mary", in 6-minute episodes, employs humor to explore the everyday experiences of the eponymous sisters Jane who is 21 and her sister Mary, who is two years younger. Though at the same time close, their contrasting personalities animate the twists and turns of life in Yaoundé, where they live with their uncle Fred who is a wealthy businessman. Many times, it is in the light-heartedness of humor or comedy that the drama in relationships, and otherwise difficult situations may be resolved. In our interview Mary-Noël describes the use of comedy in this way:
"The idea is to highlight those situations that we joke about, though are not very funny, or the everyday occurrences that we laugh off, but that we really want to find a way out of. The use of a cheerful and comical tone is to downplay dramatic situations. The denunciation of certain everyday problems in fact draws attention to these realities, which, because of their frequency, become almost ordinary."
Hence, the emotional fluctuations in this sister-sibling relationship are treated with amusement and insouciance.
Also with humor, the web-series, Afropolitaine, which focuses on Afro-French culture relates the experiences of two Paris-based millennial sisters and their family dynamics, introducing the milieus of Yvoire, a 24-year-old business student and Yanis, a 20-year-old fledgling activist, as they interact often with opposing views.
In constrast, Alda and Maria by Pocas Poscoal recounts the coming-of-age story of the eponymous 16 and 17 year-old sisters fending for themselves as they make their way in Lisbon. Hoping to reunite with their mother who ultimately does not make the voyage from worn-torn Angola. Partially autobiographical, Pocas draws from her and her sister's experiences as well as the many other Angolan immigrants. She had this to say about making the film:
"In the eighties, hundreds of adolescents were sent to Portugal to escape the war in Angola or to avoid military service. I was one of those young people. With very little money in our pockets, my mother put my sister and me on a plane to Lisbon. In war-affected Angola, Lisbon resonated in our ears like a promise of freedom. We arrived in that city with a heart full of hope. Though my mother was to join us soon afterwards, the Angolan state signed a decree banning anyone from leaving the country. At sixteen and seventeen years old, we were on our own in a Lisbon suburb..." (Cinemassy: Pocas Pascoal with Ciomara Morais, Cheila Lima. 2012).
Iman Djionne's film project in development, "Coura + Ouleye" centers on the relationship between 16 and 19 year-old Coura and Oulèye, paternal sisters born into the complex polygamous family in which their respective mothers are co-wives. After the unexpected death of their father they set off to find his will and in the process get to know each other. Iman had this to say about the theme of the film project:
"The starting point of this story was wanting to explore what that bond could be like in this particular context where mothers are in conflict, living and raising their children apart. Can it exist, can it thrive even? By doing that, I wanted to examine how one man’s decision affects an entire family, informing who those individual members become and how they relate to the world… Starting out as mirror images of their mothers, Coura and Oulèye’s quest will take them outside of Dakar, far from their family’s burden and society’s expectations, to find a way through their sisterhood to break free from that mold, become their own, and in doing that, possibly bridge a broken community." (Director's Statement-Produire au Sud).
So the notion of "sisters of the screen" broadens to include "sisters on screen" encompassing the collaboration, representation, relationships and connections of biological sisters. Off screen, they collaborate in their production and advocacy as makers and stakeholders. As image-makers African women are striving to create complex, realistic, multi-dimensional representations of sister-sibling relationships on screen.
Report by Beti Ellerson
Following are links to the posts on the African Women in Cinema Blog from which the above texts were drawn.
Mary-Noël Niba of Cameroonian origin, studied cinema at ESRA (Paris), at the University of Valenciennes (DEUG Plastic Arts option Audiovisual), then at the University of Aix Marseille (Master in Science and techniques of Sound and Image Professions). Recruited at CRTV (National Radio and Television) in 1992, she began her career as a producer of news programs (television news and information magazines - "Migrations", "Thermomètre" and "Recto Verso"). Mary-Noël is currently in charge of Public Relations at the Cameroonian Embassy in Paris, at the same time an independent filmmaker, communications consultant and executive producer of Luman Communications, a film production and distribution company, whose head office is based in Yaoundé, Cameroon. She has made several documentary films among others, including Partir?, Bamenda City, Le dos de la veuve, Yannick ou le Pied de l’Espoir, and the feature fiction Claire ou l’enfant de l’amour and the radio fictions l’Héritier de Mellan and Zéro Ballon--many of which have received distinctions. She produced and co-directed the series "Jane and Mary", which is the subject of this interview.
Mary-Noël Niba, d’origine Camerounaise, a été formée en cinéma à l’ESRA (Paris), à l’Université de Valenciennes (DEUG Arts Plastiques option Audiovisuel), puis à l’Université d’Aix Marseille (Maîtrise en Science et techniques des Métiers du son et de l’Image). Recrutée à la CRTV (Radio et Télévision nationale) en 1992, elle commence sa carrière comme réalisatrice des émissions d’information (journaux télévisés et magazines d’infos : « Migrations », «Thermomètre» et «Recto Verso»). Mary-Noël s’occupe actuellement des Relations publiques à l’Ambassade du Cameroun à Paris, tout en étant Cinéaste indépendante et Productrice Déléguée de Luman Communications, une société de production et de distribution de films, et de conseil en communication, dont le siège social est basé à Yaoundé au Cameroun. Mary-Noël Niba, est l’auteur des plusieurs films documentaires entre autres, dont « Partir ? », « Bamenda City », « le dos de la veuve », «Yannick ou le Pied de l’Espoir», d’un long métrage de fiction « Claire ou l’enfant de l’amour » et des fictions radiophoniques « l’Héritier de Mellan et « Zéro Ballon ». Des distinctions en ont été glanées. Elle produit et co-réalise la série « Jane et Mary », ce qui est le sujet de cette interview.
INTERVIEW: MARY-NOËL NIBA & BETI ELLERSON
English
You recently co-produced the series “Jane and Mary” that I discovered on the Internet. And of course I want to know more about its origins ! Where did the idea for this series come from?
One day William Landry Adeche, the main director of this series, sent me a short film he had just completed. It was the story of two sisters who were both in love with the same guy. The tone of the treatment was light-hearted and there was a fairly subtle humor. So I suggested that we do a series that will present the daily life of Cameroonians through an atypical family. So Luman Communications decided to produce this comedy series. It’s about the very busy life of two sisters, punctuated with good-natured rivalry, in a world of job searching and a quest for social success in the urban environment.
We want to present the diverse situations in a given community in the capital, Yaoundé, of an atypical Cameroonian family (minus the daily presence of the father or mother) that the sisters experience in their everyday life--indeed African, which are full of the rhythms of interactions with neighbors.
William Landry Adeche liked the idea of the series, having grown up, as many of his generation, with the French sitcom "Un gars une fille", or the U.S. sitcoms such as the "Cosby Show", "Arnold and Willy," "Fresh Prince of Bel-air”, to name a few.
We felt the need to work within a more subtle style, rather than in the sometimes-vulgar burlesque comedy, which is not yet really explored by audiovisual production in Cameroon. The series targets all age groups and is also enjoyable to watch together as a family.
Français
Tu viens de coréaliser la série « Jane et Mary » que j’ai découverte sur l’internet. Et bien sûr je veux savoir plus sur ses origines ! D’où vient l’idée de cette série ?
Un jour William Landry Adeche, le principal réalisateur de cette série, m’a envoyée un court métrage qu’il venait de réaliser. C’était l’histoire de deux sœurs qui étaient toutes les deux amoureuses d’un même garçon. Le ton du traitement était léger et il y’avait un humour assez subtil. Je lui ai donc proposé que nous fassions une série qui présentera le quotidien des camerounais à travers une famille atypique. LUMAN Communications a donc décidé de produire cette série comique. C’est la vie assez animée des deux sœurs, rythmée d’antagonisme bon enfant, dans un univers de recherche d’emploi, pour une quête de réussite sociale dans le milieu urbain.
Nous voulons présenter à travers leur quotidien, les différentes situations de vie d’une famille atypique camerounaise (pas de père, ni de mère au quotidien), voire africaine, rythmé par la présence des voisins dans un quartier donné de la capitale Yaoundé.
L’idée de la série a plu à William Landry Adeche qui a eu son enfance bercé, comme ceux de son âge, par le sitcom français « Un gars une fille», ou les sitcoms américains « Cosby show », Arnold et Willy, « Fresh prince of bel air » pour ne citer que ceux-là.
Il y’avait le besoin de travailler dans ce style subtil, loin de la comédie burlesque parfois vulgaire, qui n’est pas encore vraiment exploré par la production audiovisuelle au Cameroun. La série cible toutes les tranches d’âge et se regarde bien en famille.
***
English
So what is the series “Jane and Mary” about?
"Jane and Mary" depicts the daily life of the two sisters, Mary, 19 years old, and Jane, 21, who live in Yaoundé with their uncle Fred, a wealthy businessman. Though they have contrasting personalities, they are very close. From one episode to the next, they manage to get out of the not-always-obvious situations, at home and with the neighbors--who are an integral part of their daily lives. The neighbor, Miss Summer, who has two children, Christian and Small, has no qualms about meddling in their lives.
Hence, the series relates experiences that almost everyone has on a regular basis and which end up being no big deal. The light tone and easy-going mood of the sisters gives the perception that a solution is always possible. The idea is to highlight those situations that we joke about, though are not very funny, or the everyday occurrences that we laugh off, but that we really want to find a way out of.
The use of a cheerful and comical tone is to downplay dramatic situations. The denunciation of certain everyday problems in fact draws attention to these realities, which, because of their frequency, become almost ordinary. For instance, the episode “l’église d’à côté” (the church next door) offers a glimpse of the everyday nuisances that the neighboring community endure because of one particular activity of the new church, which broadcasts deafening music from its loudspeakers. So what do you do, if not make Jane an upholder of the law?
Each episode of the 6-minute comedy series tells a new story and from time to time, presents a mini plot twist. The stories are very simple and the intrigue is not very complex, which adds an aspect of wholesomeness. Each viewer could feel as if she or he is part of the story being told, because it underscores of the details of our daily lives.
The story takes place in the different areas of the home of the two main characters, but sometimes in the surrounding environment, the neighborhood hangouts.
Français
Et l’histoire de Jane et Mary ?
La série « Jane et Mary » met en scène le quotidien à Yaoundé, de deux sœurs, Mary (19 ans) et Jane (21 ans), aux caractères opposés mais très proches l’une de l’autre, qui vivent à Yaoundé chez leur oncle Fred, un homme d’affaires aisé. D’un épisode à l’autre, nous vivrons comment elles arrivent à se sortir des situations pas toujours évidentes, aussi bien dans leur foyer qu’avec les voisins, qui font partie intégrante de leur quotidien. La voisine, miss Summer, avec ses deux enfants, Christian et Small, n’hésite pas à s’immiscer dans leur vie.
La série pose ainsi des problèmes qui sont vécus par presque tout le monde au quotidien et qui finissent par être anodins. Sur un ton léger et à travers les humeurs toujours à la détente des deux sœurs, on perçoit un semblant de solution. L’idée est de mettre sous les feux des projecteurs ces situations dont on rit sans vraiment s'en amuser, ou dont on se moque au quotidien, mais dont on souhaite en sortir.
Le ton enjoué et comique est pour dédramatiser les situations. Il y’a comme une dénonciation de certains problèmes du quotidien afin d’attirer l’attention sur ces faits qui parce que trop fréquents deviennent presque anodins.
Prenons l’exemple de l’épisode « l’église d’à côté » qui raconte les nuisances que subissent les populations de la part des nouvelles églises dites « réveillées », par les hauts parleurs qui diffusent des musiques assourdissantes à longueur de journée, dans le quotidien des camerounais. Comment en sortir si ce n’est en rendant Jane justicière ?
Chaque épisode de cette série comédie, d’une durée de 6 mn, racontera une situation nouvelle et présentera de temps en autre une mini intrigue à rebondissement. L’originalité de cette shortcom se situe dans le fait que les histoires racontées sont toutes simples et l’intrigue peu complexe. Chaque téléspectateur pourrait avoir l’impression de faire partie intégrante de l’histoire racontée, car c’est une mise en exergue des détails de notre quotidien.
L’histoire se passe dans les différentes pièces de vie de la maison d’habitation des deux personnages principaux, mais aussi de temps en temps dans les espaces environnants, lieux de rencontre avec les voisins.
***
English
What have been the viewers’ reactions to the series?
Those who are abroad have been delighted to have a series that actually recounts in a realistic way, the experiences that they know about their country. They are generally impressed by the quality of the series, but surprised that the country-based support is not strong. In my opinion, the reason is not because of the novelty of the genre, since the Cameroonian public is accustomed to seeing wacky African shows. Like anything new, participation is always timid. However, news is spreading, we have a new partnership with the English channel Twisted Mirror TV, that was pleasantly surprised by the style of our series and is interested in broadcasting it. Moreover, "Jane and Mary" has just had its first selection at FESTICO 2020 (International Festival of Comedy) in Yaoundé, and has also been selected to represent the African series in Dublin next December, as part of the Africa 2020 program. So the TV viewers will discover it little by little. So there is hope!
Français
Quelles sont les réponses des spectateurs ?
Ceux qui sont à l’étranger et qui ont vu ont été heureux d’avoir une série qui raconte proprement et ne déforme pas la réalité de ce qu’ils savent de leur pays. Ils sont généralement impressionnés par la qualité de la série, mais surpris que l’adhésion des nationaux ne soit pas forte. Ce qui s’explique à mon avis pas la nouveauté du genre, pour ce public habitué à voir des séries africaines loufoques. Comme toute chose nouvelle, l’adhésion est toujours timide. Mais avec l’actualité de notre tout nouveau partenariat avec la chaine anglaise Twisted Mirror TV, qui a été agréablement surpris par le style de notre série et souhaite la diffuser. « Jane et Mary » vient d’avoir sa première sélection au FESTICO (Festival International des Images Comiques) 2020 à Yaoundé, et est également retenu pour représenter la série africaine à la soirée des séries à Dublin, en décembre prochain, dans le cadre du programme Africa 2020. Les téléspectateurs le découvriront petit à petit. Il y’a donc espoir !
***
English
For now is the series only distributed online? And how do you envision the future for the series?
The series was intended for TV, but at the moment, nothing prevents it from also being on the Web, especially since it meets all the criteria for this kind of structure, and is consumed easily and quickly. Since the broadcasters to whom we proposed it have been taking their time to respond, we decided to put the series on our Lumancommunications channel on YouTube for a while, in order to publicize it. We are still looking for buyers. The series already has several episodes ready to broadcast, and several ready to be shot. For the rest, we are still looking for funding to continue filming. We started with a Season 1 of 50 episodes. We want to continue as much as possible because there are countless stories to tell.
Français
Pour l’instant, est-ce que la série est diffusée uniquement sur Internet ? Et comment envisages-tu la suite ?
La série était prévue pour la télé, mais aujourd’hui, rien ne l’empêche d’être également sur le web, d’autant plus que ça répond aux critères et se consomme facilement et rapidement. Les diffuseurs à qui nous l’avons proposés prenant leur temps, nous avons décidé de mettre la série sur notre chaîne Lumancommunications sur YouTube pendant quelques temps, afin de la faire connaître. Nous sommes toujours dans la recherche des acheteurs. La série a déjà plusieurs épisodes prêts à diffuser, et plusieurs prêts à être tournés. Pour la suite, nous recherchons toujours les financements pour continuer à tourner. Nous avons commencé par une Saison 1 de 50 épisodes. Nous souhaitons continuer tant que c’est possible car les histoires à raconter sont innombrables.
***
English
Do you think that the web series platform has potential?
I think so, since we are creating more and more programming that is closer to the reality of consumption via social networks. Today, the telephone is what few people can do without no matter where they are. In addition, presently with the forced confinement due to the coronavirus health crisis, this aspect of things is extended even further. You have to be really present on the Web!
Français
Crois-tu que cette plateforme de web série a du potentiel ?
Je pense que oui, puisqu’on en crée de plus en plus pour se coller à la réalité de la consommation à travers les réseaux sociaux. Aujourd’hui, le téléphone est ce dont peu de personnes peuvent se passer où qu’ils se trouvent ; en plus, aujourd’hui avec le confinement forcé dû à la crise sanitaire du coronavirus, cet aspect des choses est renforcé. Il faut être vraiment présent sur la toile !
The post was initially a call to support the crowfunding campaign for the film Partir?, which was successfully funded. The film has been released with much success as well.
Description (Français ci-après)
(English)
Partir? (To Leave?) is a documentary film co-produced by De l'Autre Côté du Périph' and LUMAN Communications.
Partir? (To Leave?) is the questioning of millions of individuals on the African continent. Even today, many of them risk everything in order to reach Europe and escape instability, in search of a hypothetically better life.
In this documentary, Mary-Noël Niba is interested in the stories of migrants and their personal trajectories. Far from the images we all know, she gathers rare voices and offers a unique perspective on illegal economic immigration.
In front of her camera, for the first time Guy Romeo, Stéphane, Boye Gaye, Cheikh and Leo talk about their years of exile, they who were ready to do anything to find for themselves and to offer their loved ones a better future.
With the exception of Guy Romeo, all returned home, profoundly marked by the experience. Despite the years gone by, they continue to suffer from the consequences of this perilous journey and hostile welcome. As for many others, the return to their country even after years of a difficult life is considered a failure and the ostracism they endure as a double punishment.
Partir? (To Leave?) emphasises the irreversible psychological damage suffered by the ill-fated candidates of illegal emigration, while pointing to the inertia of the West and Africa in the face of this phenomenon.
Help us fund Partir ?, a documentary film that foregrounds the rare voices of clandestine economic migrants who have returned to their country after years of exile.
Partir? est un film documentaire co-produit par De l'Autre Côté du Périph' et LUMAN Communications.
Partir ? c’est l’interrogation de millions d’individus sur le continent africain. Aujourd’hui encore, ils sont nombreux à tout risquer pour rejoindre l’Europe et fuir la précarité, en quête d’une hypothétique vie meilleure.
Dans ce documentaire, Mary-Noël Niba s’intéresse aux récits des migrants et à leurs trajectoires personnelles. Loin des images que nous connaissons tous, elle recueille une parole rare et offre un point de vue unique sur l’immigration économique clandestine.
Devant sa caméra, Guy Roméo, Stéphane, Boye Gaye, Cheikh et Léo racontent pour la première fois leurs années d’exil, eux qui étaient prêts à tout pour s'offrir, ainsi qu'à leurs proches, un avenir meilleur.
A l’exception de Guy Roméo, tous sont rentrés au pays, profondément marqués par cette expérience. Malgré les années écoulées, ils subissent encore les séquelles d’un voyage périlleux et d’un accueil hostile. Comme pour beaucoup d’autres, le retour au pays après des années de vie difficiles est vécu comme un échec et l’ostracisme dont ils sont victimes, comme une double peine.
Partir ? met en avant les dégâts psychologiques irréversibles subis par les candidats malheureux à l’émigration clandestine, tout en pointant du doigt l’inertie de l’Occident et de l’Afrique face à ce phénomène.
Aidez-nous à financer Partir?, un documentaire de cinéma qui rapporte la parole rare de migrants économique clandestins rentrés aux pays après des années d'exil.
Mary-Noël Niba is the author of numerous documentaries, including: Le dos de la veuve, Yannick ou le pied de l'espoir, Double H le brouetteur d'Essos, as well as other films broadcast on the radio, notably, L'Héritier de Mellan, Zero Balloon and the feature film Claire ou l'enfant de l'amour.
She is of Cameroonian origin and studied cinema at ESRA in Paris. She then continued her studies at the University of Valenciennes (where she obtained a DEUG in visual arts). Afterwards she obtained a Master's degree in Science and Technology with a focus on Image and Sound at the University of Aix Marseille.
She began her career at CRTV (Cameroonian television and radio) as a producer of news programs and magazines, notably “Thermomètre” as well as “Recto Verso”. She created and moderated the program "Le Français Tel Quel", a magazine about the specificities of French spoken in Cameroon; making it popular throughout the country. She later held the position of assistant director of production, then the strategic position of assistant director of marketing and advertising.
Consultant in charge of the project "Maisons des Savoirs" at the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), she is presently in charge of public relations at the Embassy of Cameroon in Paris. Filmmaker and independent producer, she is the founder of Luman Communications, a production and distribution company based in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
(Français)
Mary-Noël Niba est l'auteure de nombreux documentaires, notamment : «Le dos de la veuve», «Yannick ou le pied de l'espoir», «Double H le brouetteur d'Essos», ainsi que d'autres films diffusés à la radio comme «L'Héritier de Mellan», «Zéro Ballon» ou encore un long métrage intitulé «Claire ou l'enfant de l'amour».
Elle est d''origine camerounaise et a étudié le cinéma à l'ESRA de Paris. Elle a ensuite poursuivi ses études à l'université de Valenciennes (où elle a obtenu un DEUG en arts plastiques), puis à l'université d'Aix Marseille où elle a obtenu une maîtrise en sciences et techniques Métiers de l'Image et du Son.
Elle a débuté sa carrière à la CRTV (radio-télévision camerounaise) en tant que productrice de programmes d’information et de magazines d’information tels que « Thermomètre» ou encore «Recto Verso». Elle a créé et animé le programme « Le Français Tel Quel», un magazine sur les spécificités du français parlé au Cameroun, qui la rendra populaire dans tout le pays. Elle occupera ensuite le poste de directrice adjointe chargée de la production, puis le poste stratégique de directrice adjointe chargée du marketing et de la publicité.
Consultante en charge du projet "Maisons des Savoirs" à l'Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF), elle est actuellement chargée des relations publiques à l'ambassade du Cameroun à Paris. Cinéaste et productrice indépendante, elle est la fondatrice de Luman Communications, une société de production et de distribution basée à Yaoundé, au Cameroun.
Le dos de la veuve, (the back of the widow), the politically committed documentary by Cameroonian Mary-Noël Niba. Critique by Maturin Petsoko. Journal du Cameroun, 26/04/2012. Translated from French to English by Beti Ellerson.
Le dos de la veuve (The Back of the Widow) is the story of two protagonists: Pauline and Patience. The main heroine, Pauline, in her forties, is a mother of six children whose life was devastated by the death of her husband. By the forces of ancestral tradition she is compelled to accept the youngest brother of her deceased husband as the heir to his estate. Moreover, the law accords the successor the conjugal responsibility of the widow. Sexually harassed by the young brother of the deceased, she refuses to capitulate to this child that she has practically raised. Along with her children, she ends up being expelled from the same house that she built. With only moderate means, Pauline stands up against taboos and decides to fight, denouncing the abuse and excesses of this tradition.
The two young widows left in destitution, plead their cause before the Fon, the traditional chief. In search of a solution, the customary court vacillates, nonetheless, even while fearing the Koms god, the two women seek justice based on Republican laws. The Back of the Widow brings into view the overwhelming struggle of these women who, though feeling disenfranchised, abused and abandoned by society, have verve and audacity, with a mixture of submission and willpower. One thing is certain: Neither they nor their daughters submit to the customs and traditions that give all the rights to the men.
When asked what was the underlying motivation that led her to make such a work, Mary-Noël Niba responded: I want to be the voice of the voiceless. This is the feeling that drove me when I decided to make this documentary; to discover the basis of the tradition of succession among the Koms and their impact on society. Based on a woman's story, I wanted to put under the spotlight, the courage of some of the victims of a form of enslavement of women in the name of tradition; to highlight the women who decided to rebel despite the threats, and to raise their heads as they face the magnitude of the phenomenon. In short, a vision of women who fight with and against tradition…somewhere in Cameroon the death of the “spouse” who forced a woman and her children to live under the yoke of the brother of the deceased husband ... and where the words of the woman is not worth its weight in gold against the tradition. To assert their rights, the application of Western laws is the last resort.
Only a year after the official release of the documentary, it was presented at the Festival Regards sur le cinéma du Monde in Rouen in February 2012 and premiered in Yaoundé in 3 March 2012. Screenings were also held in Douala and Bamenda in March 2012. Moreover, it was broadcast on several television channels, such as STV, TV5 Monde (8 March 2012), CFI (2012) etc. In terms of audience responses there was quite a bit of positive feedback. Le Dos de la Veuve is a film to watch again and again. This 68-minute film is a Luman Communications production with original dialogue in English, Pidgin, Kom and French, subtitled in French.
Mary-Noël Niba was trained in cinema at the ESRA (school of cinema, sound and film animation) in Paris, received a DEUG (general university studies diploma) in Plastic Arts at the University of Valenciennes and a Masters in Science and Techniques in Sound and Image at the University of Aix in Marseilles. Recruited at the CRTV (Cameroon National Radio and Television) in 1992, she began her career as director of news programs (newscasts and news programs such as Thermomètre and Recto Verso). She later created "Le Français Tel Quel", a news magazine about the specificities of French spoken in Cameroon, which made her famous throughout the country. She would later occupy high positions at the television, serving as Deputy Director of Production before taking the strategic post as Deputy Commercial Director of Marketing and Publicity. After working as a consultant in charge of the project "Maisons des Savoirs" with the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF), Mary-Noel Niba is currently in charge of public relations for the Cameroon Embassy in Paris, parallel to this position she wears the hat of independent filmmaker and executive producer of Luman Communications, a Yaoundé-based production company and film distribution and communications consultancy. Her current project is a feature film entitled "Claire ou l’enfant de l’amour" (Claire or the child of love).
Le dos de la Veuve, le documentaire engagé de la camerounaise Mary-Noël Niba. Critique par Maturin Petsoko. Journal du Cameroun, 26/04/2012.
« Le dos de la veuve », c’est l’histoire de deux protagonistes: Pauline et Patience. L’héroïne principale (Pauline) est une mère dont la vie a été foudroyée par la mort subite de son mari. A peu près la quarantaine, mère de six enfants, elle est contrainte par la force des traditions ancestrales d’accepter le frère cadet de son défunt mari comme l’héritier des biens de celui-ci. Ce statut accorde également au successeur une responsabilité maritale sur la veuve. Harcelée sexuellement par le successeur, petit frère du défunt, elle refuse de se laisser conquérir par cet enfant qu’elle a pratiquement élevé, et finit par se faire chasser avec ses enfants, de la maison qu’elle a construite. Bravant les tabous, Pauline décide de se battre et dénonce avec ses petits moyens, les abus et dérives de cette tradition. Les deux protagonistes (Pauline et Patience), jeunes veuves abandonnées dans le dénuement, vont plaider leur cause devant le Fon, chef traditionnel. Devant les hésitations du tribunal coutumier à trouver des solutions, même dans la peur des dieux koms, elles veulent trouver dans les lois de la République le verdict juste. « Le Dos de la Veuve », met donc en scène le combat bouleversant des femmes battantes, qui se sentent spoliées, abusées et abandonnées par la société, mais qui ont de la verve et de l'audace, mâtinée de soumission à la volonté divine. Une chose est sûre: Ni elles ni leurs filles ne courbent l'échine devant les coutumes et les traditions qui donnent tous les droits aux hommes. Lire l'article en intégralité sur http://journalducameroun.com/article.php?aid=11200
