The documnetary film by Dr. Shabtay was screened in Cameroon
Semi-finalist in the ‘‘New Filmmakers New Orleans’’ competition in May 2022, semi-finalist in the ‘‘Paris Women Festival 2022’’, and winner of the ‘‘Bhutan Druk International Film Festival’’, the documentary film ‘‘CAMEROON MA PETITE VILLE’’ by Israeli filmmaker Dr. Malka Shabtay had its premiere screening in Cameroon on 15 February 2024 at the Goethe Institute in Yaoundé.
Organized in partnership with the Goethe Institute, the premiere of this documentary film was attended by distinguished guests including members of the diplomatic corps, members of the government, the Shalom club, and various actors from the cultural and academic worlds.
For around fifty minutes, ''CAMEROON MA PETITE VILLE'' plunges us into the epic story of a three-month visit to Cameroon that completely changed the director's life. Three months of moving discoveries, of Cameroon in 1990, which captured her heart.
Right from the start of the film, we are captivated by the originality of the narrative, punctuated by a simple, lively and exciting style. Having travelled from Israel at the invitation of Cameroonian anthropologist Prof. Paul Nkwi, Dr. Malka Shabtay takes viewers to meet the peoples (Grassfields, Bantu, Fulani, Baka-pygmies) of Cameroon in all their authenticity. Sharing experiences is a dream she has finally fulfilled.
From the Conference on Anthropology held in Yaoundé, to the training seminar for journalists in Douala, to the inauguration of the Cameroon Anthropological Museum, a visit to the Bamoun Sultanate, the funeral of a deceased woman in the Babuaté village (West Cameroon), or the event organized by the Madagascar Youth and Animation Centre; Dr Malka Shabtay never ceased to appreciate, analyse and try to understand the specific nature and importance of this cultural melting pot, which she experienced to the full.
We are saddened by the death in 2019 of Daniel Tcheuffa, President of the Shalom Club of Cameroon, with whom she was enamored and affectionately called "the love of her life".
At the end of the film, you come away amazed, with a feeling of satisfaction, conquered and proud to have watched a rich documentary, interesting from a scientific and academic point of view, and revealing what anthropological research for development is all about.