African Film Archive

Les Saignantes (The Bloodettes)

2005 — Jean-Pierre Bekolo — Cameroon

feature · science fiction, thriller · festival-era

Set in a futuristic 2025 Cameroon, Jean-Pierre Bekolo's Afrofuturist thriller follows two women who must dispose of a corrupt political leader's body while channeling the ancestral Beti ritual of Mevungu, traditionally performed by women in times of social crisis.

Fun fact: Bekolo has called it his magnum opus, and it received a special mention for its script at the Torino Film Festival's Holden Award in 2005.

Notes: Also released internationally as The Bloodettes.

Verification: verified · Sources: [1] [2] [3]

Poster source: Wikipedia