Cinema
Kouami
Metonou Do Kokou · 1975
Synopsis
Two somewhat scatterbrained girls from the bush leave their village for the city, where they go from mishap to mishap; the film shows what the urban adventure costs those who attempt it, and that they should never have left. An actor gifted for comedy and a girls' brawl in the middle of the street give some relief to this unpretentious farce, shot in sixteen millimetre and in colour.
Context
Shot in sixteen millimetres, the film runs half an hour; it was edited by Andrée Davanture, the regular editor of many African filmmakers, and produced by the director's company. It is regarded as the first Togolese fiction film. Its date remains disputed: 1972 according to the dictionary of the cinemas of Africa published in 2000, 1975 according to the director, who made a second short film the following year. The Institut français now distributes it through its film library devoted to Africa.
Who it is for
A half-hour comedy, to be seen as the starting point of Togolese fiction cinema rather than as an accomplished work.
Prizes and reception
Seen as the birth certificate of filmed fiction in Togo; its author was made a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2018.
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