The African Independances seen by amateur film makers

THE AFRICAN INDEPENDANCES SHOT BY AMATEUR FILM-MAKERS

A documentary by Claude Bossion and Agnès O’Martins

Between family films and non professional reporting, the french amateur film-makers who were present in Africa between 1955 and 1965 have witnessed with their small cameras the historical turn of African independances. From the visits of the general De Gaulle in Brazaville and Tananarive (1958 and 1959) to the celebrations of independances in 1960, they filmed nations being built.
Filmed by individuals for their relatives, those images that everyone could have made are strong tools of individual and social memory.

Celebrate the independances
For the 50th anniversary of the 1960 african independances, we have decided to celebrate this event by making a documentary that puts together several amateur movies. Those documents, all of them undisclosed come from the funds of Cinememoire’s cinematheque. Those films are the witnesses of an important moment of the XXth century : the access to independance of 17 countries after years of colonisation. The documentary is about the ten years around the 1960 independances.

A tribute to amateur film-makers
The amateur film maker gives to the viewer the spontaneity of an historical period. He shoots for fun, to share his daily life with his family and friends,when he comes back in France. Those family films are as much about Africa than about the film maker. Their points of views are more intimate than official media. Those family films are portraying as well Africa as the film-maker himself. They invite the viewer to go through years of upheaval and hope.

The DVD of the documentary can now be ordered in Circuit-Court online shop>>

Documentary, 52’
A coproduction Circuit Court / Cinémémoire / Histoire
Format: BETA numeric 4/3
Available versions: french, international
Directors: Claude Bossion / Agnès O’Martins
Music: Arnaud Romet
Archive films : Cinémémoire



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