Balz Alter: "Moi, un Afropéen" - Film and Discussion

Colloquium "African Studies"

This session builds on a long-term filmic research project (2009 - 2018), which examined the impact of the camera/filmic technology in an ethnographically informed religionaisthetic research process. One outcome of this research is a film with the title "Moi, un Afropéen" which was developed in close collaboration with André Ottou aka Otu Bala (Jah) a Cameroonian intellectual and musician. In the framework of this session – after the screening of the film – we will elaborate on our ability to listen, see and observe – drawing on reflections of our embodied and shared experiences made while watching the film.

"Moi, un Afropeen" – the film that will be shown entirely during the session – is a film about an African reggae musician aspiring to return to his homeland after achieving success in Europe. In Cameroon, as in many other African countries, it is not uncommon for entire families to pool their savings in order to smuggle at least one person into Europe. Often the youngest and strongest member is sent to the so-called “greener pastures” – that is Europe and countries like France, Germany or Switzerland. In 2011 André Ottou aka Otu Bala (Jah), the protagonist of the movie, left Cameroon to pursue his career in Europe and finally aspired (2014) and failed (2015) to return to his place of birth. 

The storytelling shown in the montage has been built by deep elicitation techniques and free association processes in the framework of a long-lasting relationship and collaboration. Over the years of empathic investigations some sessions of the still ongoing dialogue between protagonist and filmmaker were recorded.  Several times (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017) the filmed material was screened back to the protagonist to create feedback and further reflections that were recorded by the film crew and integrated into the finding of the final narration. This screening back for feed back process opened up a virtual social space that can be conceptualized as a stage on which the protagonist (re)tells his story in his own, personal and unique way.

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