Interview with the scholarship holders of the DOK.network Africa Residency 2018

In a short conversation Cyrielle Raingou from Cameroon and Lawrence Agbetsise from Ghana told us about their first impressions in Munich and their projects.

Cyrielle: There is no course of study in Cameroon that specializes in documentary film. One rather gets a general education there. Among younger filmmakers, documentary film is not particularly popular, the audience is also rather older. I am therefore delighted to have the opportunity to continue working on my project here.

Lawrence: Fictional formats are also more popular in Ghana than documentary formats. The problem that many young filmmakers see inside can be summed up in a nutshell: You can't make money on documentaries. I see documentary work as a lifestyle. You are much closer to people, you can move more on a social level than with feature films.

Cyrielle: My project is called LE CYCLONEUR. It is about a Muslim inventor and designer who has made it his business to fight against the terror of the Boko Haram with the help of a kind of leaf blower in northern Cameroon. The leaf blower stands as a metaphor for a social change, for a turning away from terror. I try to approach the topic as creatively as possible. It is important to me to represent his dreams and wishes, his creativity and imagination in the matter.

Lawrence: My film project is called UNTOLD RUMOURS. The topic is intra-African migration and how Africans from different nations deal with each other. I accompany my protagonist Aishe, a Ghanaian who was forced by her family to move to Kuwait to work and finally ends up in Casablanca/Morocco. I will also appear as a protagonist and tell about my travel experiences within Africa.

Cyrielle: I am very much looking forward to the coming weeks! At a first meeting with our mentors, we realized that we still had a lot of work ahead of us. We're both in Germany for the first time. On my arrival here in Munich I also saw snow live for the first time. From the plane it looked as if I would land in the "Land of Jon Snow" from Game of Thrones.

Lawrence: Our mentors are very dedicated and I look forward to what our time here will bring. What I find funny so far: Everyone is waiting for green at the traffic light, even if no car can be seen. And I'm really looking forward to spring!

The interview was conducted by Helga-Mari Steininger