LA GRANDE CASE BAMILEKÉ

The construction of the large hut for the Bamileké in Cameroon is a collective effort in which the whole village takes part. Putting on the roof is the most delicate operation and requires extremely accurate coordination. Ingeniousness and skill make up for the lack of technical means. The large hut burnt down by terrorists has to be reconstructed. The work is done as though it were a real ritual. Whilst the men work briskly, the women and the old folk accompany the ceremony with music and singing. After reconstruction, the large hut will again take on its role as a sanctuary of tradition, where the ancestral secrets of the Bamileké people are kept.

Regia, sceneggiatura e fotografia: Jean Paul Ngassa, William Hamon.
Editor: Jean Guilbert.
Production company: Caméra Actualité, Ministère de la Coopération Français.