Cameroon / 1994 / 90mins / Comedy, Drama / French

This delightful film is an African variation on themes from Huckleberry Finn and Night of the Hunter. A little boy of ten named Mentse escapes from a burning hut, pursued by a man who claims to be his father. Finding sanctuary from the inhospitable jungle, he becomes fast friends with Nga’nsi, a lovely girl who can see beyond the visible. Mentse’s journey winds into ever more wondrous territory, in which he discovers a very unusual turtle (Totor) and a city where no city ought to be.

Daniel Kamwa

Daniel Kamwa was born in Nkongsamba, Cameroon in 1943 and later moved to Paris where he also studied cinema. He joined Peter Brook’s comedy troupe as an actor in 1968 before leaving to work in theater, film and television. He directed his first short film, Boubou Cravate, in 1972, and his first feature in 1976: Pousse-Pousse, one of the most popular and successful films shown in francophone Africa at that time. Kamwa’s many films include Notre fille (1980), Danse automate danse (1980), La Petite Fille trouvée (1987), Vidéo lire (1990), and Circle of Powers (1998). His 2008 film Mah Sa-Sah opened the 21st FESPACO in 2009. Learn More