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The Bronze Men of Cameroon 

A Film by Florence Ayisi

Les Hommes de Bronze du Cameroun

Un Documentaire de Florence Ayisi

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Synopsis

english

The Bronze Men of Cameroon is an intimate portrait of a community of bronze artisans in Foumban, the ‘City of Arts’. Bronze casting is a valued cultural heritage of the Bamum People in the Western Region of Cameroon. This film presents bronze craftsmen at work, with rare insights into their expertise in producing unique bronze sculptures that are inscribed with symbolic narratives, collective memory and identity of the Bamum.

The Bronze Men of Cameroon is also about the changing landscape of Bamum bronze casting and the threats to cultural continuity as global trends negatively impact on a treasured way of life. The bronze craftsmen are facing challenges in sustaining their livelihoods and safeguarding their unique cultural heritage that has formed and defined their identity over several generations. The raw materials for making bronze sculptures are scare. The craftsmen are facing competition from Chinese migrants who buy land export large quantities of these materials to their country. The foundries are closing down, and this established traditional art practice is in decline. Some bronze artists are turning to farming and other trades. The artisans are fearful and uncertain “whether in the future Bamum’s bronze art could disappear” and, with it, a tradition and their sense of belonging, livelihoods and history. Are these the last generation of bronze craftsmen in the Bamum Kingdom?

french

‘Les Hommes de Bronze du Cameroun’ est un portrait intime d’une communauté d’artisans qui travaillent le bronze à Foumban, ‘Cité des Arts’. La fonte du bronze à la cire perdue est un aspect important du patrimoine culturel des Bamouns dans la Région de l’Ouest du Cameroun. Ce film présente des artisans du bronze au travail. Il offre des aperçus peu connus sur leur expertise dans la production des sculptures en bronze uniques, où sont inscrites des images symboliques et des narrations de la mémoire collective, de l’identité et du caractère des Bamouns.

 

‘Les Hommes de Bronze du Cameroun’ traite aussi des menaces sur la préservation culturelle, face à l’impact négatif sur les pratiques indigènes des tendances mondiales. La fonte du bronze est en voie de disparition! Les artisans du bronze sont confrontés à des difficultés en ce qui concerne le maintien et la défense de leur patrimoine culturel unique, qui a formé la mémoire collective de leur société. Les matières premières dont ils ont besoin pour pratiquer leur artisanat traditionnel si précieux sont rares. Les artisans sont confrontés à la concurrence des migrants chinois qui achètent les matériaux en grandes quantités et les exportent chez eux. Les activités dans le secteur de la fonte du bronze diminuent lentement. Les fonderies ferment leurs portes! Certains artisans du bronze se tournent vers l’agriculture et d’autres métiers.  Les artisans craignent ‘qu’à l’avenir, l’art du bronze chez les Bamouns puissent disparaître”, et avec ceci, une tradition et leur sentiment d’appartenance qui définissent leur identité, leur culture et leur histoire depuis plusieurs générations. Ces artisans, sont-ils la dernière génération à pratiquer la fonte du bronze dans le Royaume Bamoun?

Bronze Festival Screenings
Winner Grand Prize - West African Film F
OFFICIAL SELECTION - The Pan African Fil
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Twin Cities Black F
OFFICIAL SELECTION - MASTER OF ART FILM
OFFICIAL SELECTION - The African Film Fe
OFFICIAL SELECTION - International Black
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Lule International
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Cameroon Internatio
OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2020 Mosaic Film Fe
IMANI Feature Film Award - Kwanzaa Film
RapidLion 2021 Invite Laurel Official Se

Select Festival screening Highlights

Twin City Black Film Festival (TCBFF), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA – Oct 21-24, 2020

Mosaic Film Festival of Arts and Culture – Bedford, Nova Scotia – Canada – Nov 20-22, 2020 [LINK]

Kwanzaa Film Festival - New York, USA – Dec. 26, 2020 – Jan. 1, 2021 – IMANI ‘Feature Film’ Award  [LINK]

Watch-Africa Cymru, - Wales African Film Festival – Feb 2021

West African Film Festival, Houston, Texas, USA - February 1– 28, 2021 – Winner, Grand Prize

Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) Los Angeles, USA - February 14-28, 2021  [LINK]

Festival International du Cinéma Indépendant de Bafoussam - Cameroun – Mar 24-27, 2021

RapidLion - The South African International Film Festival – April 5-11, 2021

Master of Art Film Festival, Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna, Bulgaria – April 8-29, 2021

Cameroon International Film Festival, Buea (CAMIFF) - April 2021

Boden International Film Festival, Sweden – April 2021

International Black and Diversity Film Festival (IBDFF), Toronto, Canada - June 2021  - 

Winner, Best International Documentary

The African Film Festival (TAFF), Dallas, Texas, USA – June 1-6, 2021

Fine Arts Film Festival, Vernice, California, USA – June 8-14, 2021

Charlotte Black Film Festival (CBFF) USA – June 5-10, 2021

Madrid International Film Festival, Spain – June 2021 – Nominated for Best Cinematography in a Documentary

Luleå International Film Festival, Sweden - September 24-26, 2021

Ananse Cinema International Film Festival, Ghana – October 2021

Bronze Press
Press Kit
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BronzTrailers
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Trailer

The Bronze Men of Cameroon

Bronze Poto Gallery

Photo Gallery

 

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