Les maitres fous (1955)
Directed by Jean Rouch
this documentary was shot in Africa and was highly controversial on
it's release. A group known as the Hauka have yearly ritual where
members go into a trance and are possessed by spirits of the
colonists that run their country.
This film has been
accused of being offensive to all sides involved and while it covers
an interesting subject I am not sure it ever really gets to the heart
of the matter. Using a voice over narration from an outsider and no
interviews with those involved we never get an insiders view. Some
may think this provides ambiguity but to me it just allows the film
makers to play up the elements they want, undercutting any "truth" in the film.
2/5
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