Diagonale
Diagonale
Diagonale

Search archives

Search for:
Year:
Title:
Genre:

Les maîtres fous / The Mad Masters
Innovative Cinema Short, FR 1955, 28 min., eF
Diagonale 2024

Director: Jean Rouch
Camera: Jean Rouch
Editor: Jean Rouch, Suzanne Baron
Location Sound: Ibrahim Dia, Damouré Zika
Additional Credits: Stimme: Jean Rouch
Production: Les Films de la Pléiade

 

Two years before Ghana’s declaration of independence in 1957, Jean Rouch filmed a Hauka cult ritual near Accra. During the possession ceremony, the predominantly male participants fall into a trance-like state and slip into the roles of authorities of the colonial power: foaming at the mouth, armed with wooden rifles, fighting over a dead dog. While his explanatory commentary aims to convey a scientific perspective, Rouch records the ceremony like a frantic reporter.

Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner