In Central Africa, raising awareness through traveling cinema – La Libre Afrique

Created in April 2017, the NAC was born thanks to Serge Mbilika, a TV journalist from Central Africa. "Some are amazed when they see a car, so imagine during the projection," he says.

The host announces the first film and the silence is done.

The usual song of birds and locusts gave way to a thunderous voice. "If you do not register, you will not be able to touch the money of your retirement! "Says a character on the giant screen, amid the mango trees of the village.

Because Serge spent the afternoon with his little camera to walk the streets and film the inhabitants of Bayanga.

"It allows us to get the attention of people before the screening," says Carmelle, host who adds: "go see them and film them in the afternoon, it ramies people by word of mouth."

During the screening, after an hour of music and dance, spectators laugh at seeing themselves on the big screen.

– "With the means of the edge" –

A few hours earlier, at Serge's passage, a woman who was grinding cassava, with a taciturn air, had stopped her. "What do you want with your thing? She asked in Sango, the local language. Answer by Serge: "You'll see tonight, at 17h at school".

The goal of this traveling cinema is above all awareness. Forced marriage, hand washing, vaccination: the subjects are numerous, and the last film of the evening evokes the schooling of girls.

"I did not think it was a problem," said Maeva, who, like all the other inhabitants of this small village of Pygmies Baka 10km from Bayanga, saw the film, her son in her arms.

"My daughter stays to help me at home. She takes care of the last when I go to the forest. But now I'm going to force her to go to school, "she adds.

For Serge Mbilika, it's a victory: "we thought it was the best way to reach people in remote areas, the big screen marks the minds of some, they will tell others the message they have received ".

In this country devastated by the civil war since 2012, where armed groups fight for the control of the resources, Serge Mbilika thinks to make cinema a tool of living-together.

"Cinema can be a way to bring peace to the Central African Republic," he thinks.

– Lack of funds –

The films broadcast come from the surrounding countries. The projectionist Franklin adjusts the projector, and on screen, a film featuring the Cameroon begins.

People in djellaba discuss, in Arabic, of marital status.

"The problem is that it does not necessarily affect the population well, Central Africans have trouble identifying," says Franklin, who also handles the dubbing of films in Sango with the means at hand.

"We could make our own films, we are two journalists in the group, but the problem is that there is no money," he laments.

Unicef ​​and the Alliance Française provide funds for the movement and distribution of certain films, but the material comes from the network of traveling cinemas in Africa.

The car is for example a gift from the Cameroonian antenna of this organization. It has only two-wheel drive, the suspensions are out of order and the chassis broke in two during the previous mission.

"It's dangerous, already that the roads are complicated … In addition we planned to go to Bambari, in an area of ​​tension," worries Vivien, the driver of the team.

With a virtually non-existent road network in the Central African Republic, the equipment is badly handled. "We must find partners to change this car," said Olivier Colin, director of the Alliance Française de Bangui, exclaiming: "this cinema is of public utility! ".

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