African Film Archive

Sacred Places (Lieux saints)

2009 — Jean-Marie Teno — Cameroon, France

documentary · documentary · festival-era

Filmed in a poor district of Ouagadougou, Jean-Marie Teno's documentary follows a djembe maker, a video-club manager, and a public letter writer to ask what became of early African cinema's ambition to educate as well as entertain.

Fun fact: One subject calls the djembe cinema's big brother, arguing the drum held Africans under its spell long before film arrived.

Notes: Teno is Cameroonian; film set and shot in Burkina Faso.

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

Poster source: African Film Festival, Inc.