Harvard Film Archive West African Women in Films

The Harvard Film Archive features works by director Rosine Mbakam

A hairdresser meticulously braiding a client's hair in a vibrant salon, using a candle to seal the ends.

From the film Chez Jolie Coiffure | COURTESY OF ICARUS FILMS

The Harvard Film Archive screens the complete works of this year’s McMillan-Stewart Fellow, filmmaker Rosine Mbakam (January 27-February 9). Born in Cameroon and based in Belgium, Mbakam will be on hand February 8 and 9 to discuss her documentaries, shorts, and her latest feature, Mambar Pierrette (2023), which follows a Cameroonian seamstress and single mother struggling to keep her life afloat. Mbakam’s works reflect timeless recurring themes inherent to women’s lives, intergenerational shifts, and the immigration experience. The Two Faces of a Bamiléké Woman (2016) documents her own return trip to Cameroon after a seven-year absence, while Delphine’s Prayers (2021) offers an intimate portrait of a Cameroonian sex worker and her efforts to face, and transcend, daily challenges. You Will Be My Ally, Prism, and Chez Jolie Coiffure will also be screened. (For further details, visit the Harvard Film Archive.)


 

You might also like

Rachel Ruysch’s Lush (Still) Life

Now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, a Dutch painter’s art proved a treasure trove for scientists.

The Artist Edward Gorey—and Pets—at Harvard

Winter exhibits at Houghton Library   

The Peabody Essex Museum Spotlights Designer Andrew Gn

Landmark exhibition on global fashion 

Most popular

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

How Homelessness is a Public Health Crisis

Homelessness has surged in the United States, with devastating effects on the public health system.

Explore More From Current Issue

A woman (Julia Child) struggles to carry a tall stack of books while approaching a building.

Highlights from Harvard’s Past

The rise of Cambridge cyclists, a lettuce boycott, and Julia Child’s cookbooks

People gather near the John Harvard Statue in front of University Hall surrounded by autumn trees.

A Changed Harvard Faces the Future

After a tense summer—and with no Trump settlement in sight—the University continues to adapt. 

A vibrant composition of flowers, a bird, and butterflies with a distant manor under a moody sky.

Rachel Ruysch’s Lush (Still) Life

Now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, a Dutch painter’s art proved a treasure trove for scientists.