Cameroon: FESPACO 2017 - Cameroon Film in the Spotlight

The 2016 film, Life. Point, in competition at the FESPACO Film Festival, was projected at the Burkina Cine last Monday.

Suspense gripped the audience at the Burkina Cine Hall last Monday evening February 27, 2017 for over 90 minutes as they witnessed how emotions transpired between a French speaking retired university professor (Mballa Etoa Jacob) and a charming Central African refugee (Sa'adatu), a girl young enough to be her daughter. That feeling of love between Mballa Jacob and Sa'adatu turned out to be a true love story between Sa'adatu and Mballa Jacob's son, Bernard. True love is that main message the film producer, Bassek Ba Kobhio and director, Achille Brice, tries to bring out in the lone Cameroonian film; Life. Point, which is competing in the long feature films category at the 25th edition of the Pan-African Television and Film Festival (FESPACO) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The audience, in an attentive manner watched how Mballa Etoa Jacob's entire world began to crumble over the dead of his beloved wife, victim of a stroke following the troubles their son Bernard has long caused them. When she passes on, he no longer has a reason to live in spite the existence of his two children. Because he has lost a taste for life, Mballa Etoa embarks on a mission to take his own life. But his suicide mission is suspended when he meets Sa'adatu, who is not just a refugee but a dance teacher. Sa'adatu gives him a new insight into life. They both enjoyed a meaningful distraction period which was short lived as reality catches up with them when Mballa Etoa Jacob's son, Bernard, later enters the scene and did everything to make sure he separates his father from the prostitute he called Sa'adatu. However, Sa'adatu realises that it was more of pity she felt for Mballa Jacob. Her love for Mballa Jacob's son grew and it became evident that she had a softer spot for him. As Bernard and Sa'adatu began manifesting what they felt for each other, Mballa Jacob decided to take his own life in a bid to spend eternal life with his beloved wife while his son, who was suffering from a broken marriage spend quality time with Sa'adatu. At the end of the film, reactions from the audience revealed that the suspense technique used by the film director was worthwhile as continuity enabled viewers to grasp the message behind the film, Life.Point. "The applause from the audience says it all", Achille Brice noted. The script writer, who is also a Co-producer, Nkanya Nkwai says he was out to tell the world that love which has no boundary, can start from nowhere and end somewhere.

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