A unique selection of films by leading African filmmakers, the Cinémathèque Afrique collection brings together restored works spanning from 1955 to today. Restored by the Institut français and made available by TV5MONDE+, these films offer a rare and essential overview of African cinema, highlighting its diversity, history, and enduring creative power.
Films
Les princes noirs de Saint-Germain-des-Prés
1975 | 14 min
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Short Film
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Arriving penniless on the Parisian pavement, they are elegant, flashy. And seated at the café terraces of the Latin Quarter, young “white” women, in search of exoticism, are the ideal prey for these ephebes from legendary kingdoms.
Nationalité immigré
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Sidi, a worker of Mauritanian origin, works in France. Like most foreign workers, he is employed in the most arduous and dangerous jobs. Faced with this racist and systemic exploitation, immigrant workers consult with one another, organize themselves and rise up.
Bal Poussière
Comedy
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1988 | 87 min
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A wealthy planter, Alcaly, known as “Demi-God”, already has five wives when he sets his sights on Binta. Marrying her would allow him to organize his week by devoting each day to one wife and Sunday to the one who has shown the best behavior. Binta has no intention of letting herself be pushed around.
À nous deux, France !
1970 | 58 min
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Comedy
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In Paris, the wandering of a young Black man, an elegant dandy, who has come to reunite with his young white wife and their little daughter. At the same time, young Ivorian women seek to prevent their compatriots from becoming attached to French women. In this quirky and satirical musical film, Désiré Écaré offers his own reappropriation of Western clichés about Black people.
Le trésor des poubelles
1989 | 60 min
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Culture
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In Senegal, faced with a consumer society that is growing and changing, small craftsmen are trying to survive. Using recycled materials, they invent and reinvent everyday objects. A celebration of Dakar’s creative genius by the “father of African documentary”.
Le retour d'un aventurier
1966 | 33 min
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Back from a trip to the United States, a young Nigerian gives his friends cowboy outfits. Dressed this way, the small group will cause disorder in the village, provoking the anger of the elders. A western parody that has become a classic of African cinema.
Wendemi, l'enfant du Bon Dieu
1992 | 94 min
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Dramedy
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Wendemi, abandoned at birth, has never been acknowledged by his parents. As an adult, he is therefore unable to marry Pogbi, whom he loves. He then leaves for Ouagadougou in the hope of finding his mother, his history, his family: everything that could constitute his identity.
Concerto pour un exil
1967 | 29 min
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In Paris, the lives of four Africans: Hervé, a disillusioned student leader, his wife, who treats her loneliness with tranquilizers, Doudou, a great seducer, and Yao, a street sweeper. All face an uncertain future: should they stay in France or choose to return home?
Afrique sur Seine
1955 | 20 min
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Short film
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Paris in the 1950s as seen by African immigrants, students or artists, their encounters, their nostalgia. The question of uprooting lies at the heart of this very first film made by African filmmakers, under the patronage of the Ethnographic Film Committee of the Musée de l’Homme.
La vie est belle
1987 | 80 min
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Comedy
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Kourou arrives in Kinshasa to make it in music. Ending up doing every possible job, he falls for the beautiful Kabibi, who is also coveted by his boss. Zany adventures set to the rhythm of the music of the great Papa Wemba.
Lamb
1963 | 18 min
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A highly popular national sport in Senegal, traditional wrestling, known as “Lamb” in Wolof, is reminiscent of Greco-Roman wrestling, with specific, very strict rules and training sessions on the beach. A celebration of strength, a celebration of the people, the matches take place here in the arena of Dakar. Bets are placed.
Samba le Grand
1977 | 13 min
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Samba Gana, a legendary hero, dazzled by the beauty of Queen Analiatoubari, vows to bring back her smile by submitting himself to a series of trials. But he will have to prove his bravery again and again. A tragic tale about the importance of self-sacrifice for the common good.
La Chapelle
1979 | 79 min
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Dramedy
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A Congolese village in the 1930s. A missionary, a village chief and a schoolteacher vie for authority over men and women whose only ambition is to live in peace. One of the first Congolese films made after independence. A portrayal of colonial Africa and a clash of cultures.
Mouna ou le rêve d'un artiste
1969 | 48 min
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Drama
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After years of financial hardship, an African mask sculptor obsessed with his art finds success for the first time. But just as his works finally begin to sell, they suddenly seem to come to life and become characters in their own right.
Tabataba
1988 | 76 min
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Drama
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Madagascar, 1947. The inhabitants of the small village of Tanala take part in the great revolt against French colonization. Some believe in democratic power, others in the power of weapons. Solo, a young boy, witnesses this uprising that will turn the course of his life upside down.