21.05.24, 20:30, Mambar Pierrette (2024)

The start of the new school year means top pressure for seamstress Mambar Pierette. From early morning until sunset, she sews uniforms in her wooden hut in a shabby neighbourhood of the Cameroonian city of Douala. But she still always takes the time to hear the worries of local residents and friends who drop by. Not that she has no worries of her own. As a mother of three with a husband who refuses to contribute to the household, she lives in permanent need of money. Her customers nevertheless try to haggle on everything and the repair of her ancient sewing machine costs a fortune.

Strictly speaking, Mambar Pierrette is a fiction film, but because of director Rosine Mbakam's documentary background, Pierrette's daily life seems to unfold spontaneously in front of the camera. Mbakam once again delivers a layered portrait of life on the margins where the boundaries between fiction and documentary are sensitively explored. The fact that most of the actors are not professionals playing themselves in addition enhances the sense of authenticity.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Rosine Mbakam.