Cameroon – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

JAIL TIME RECORDS (Tribeca 2026) – Review by Leslie Combemale

June 11, 2026June 12, 2026 Leslie Combemale Cameroon, Dione Roach, Jail Time Records, New Bell prison, Steve Happi, The documentary, The Promise of Music, Tribeca 2026

New Bell prison in Douala, Cameroon was built for a capacity of 800, but now houses nearly 6000 men. This overcrowded location is wall to wall with inmates from all walks of life, and is the backdrop of a story of creativity, artistic expression, and emotional authenticity that is Dione Roach and Steve Happi’s Jail Time Records. The documentary expertly juxtaposes cinema verité scenes of prison life with musical interludes using songs created behind the walls of New Bell. It’s a beautiful, visceral, invigorating movie that is as dynamic and hopeful as it is rage-inducing and heartbreaking. There isn’t a moment in Jail Time Records that isn’t compelling, equally drawing viewers in with the performances and the profiles of specific artists/inmates.

Festivals

Washington University’s AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2025 Overview – Diane Carson reports

March 25, 2025March 25, 2025 Diane Carson Cameroon, Nigeria, reunion, senegal, Somalia, south africa, Washington University African Film Festival 2025, Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo

Celebrating its 19th year, Washington University’s African Film Festival excels at introducing “contemporary artistic production by African artists to American audiences, combating stereotypes.” Over the March 28 to 30 weekend, it will present seven short films and three narrative features, all less than two years old. From Senegal, Somalia, Nigeria, South Africa, Reunion, and Cameroon, they offer a diversity of cultures and issues, landscapes and languages. Succeeding technically and artistically, the films (and I have had the pleasure of watching all of them) dramatize insightful and poignant stories of personal and communal interaction, often against a political backdrop.

Festivals Reviews

MAMBAR PIERRETTE (NYFF 2023) – Review by Margaret Barton-Fumo

October 2, 2023October 3, 2023 Margaret Barton-Fumo Cameroon, Mambar Pierrette, NYFF 2023, Rosine Mbakam

No stranger to experimentation, Rosine Mbakam returns to the NYFF in 2023 with Mambar Pierrette, an engaging profile of a seamstress in Cameroon. Known for her previous works of creative nonfiction, Mbakam’s latest is an unassuming yet powerful drama that draws heavily from everyday life. Following Mambar closely as she toils from day to day, sewing in a tiny shop and taking care of her family during her hours off, Mbakam ekes out a candid tale of perseverance.