Jean-Marie Teno

Jean-Marie Teno (born 1954) is a Cameroonian film director and filmmaker,[1] "one of Africa's most prolific filmmakers".[2] His films address censorship, human rights violations, globalization, and the effects of colonialism.[3] Teno has made films in many different forms but favors making documentaries. In an interview when asked about his favor style of film to make he responded, "documentary because when you do fiction, people think it's not true. When it's the documentary, they are embarrassed, embarrassed".[4]

Jean-Marie Teno
Born1954
Famleng, Bandjoun.
NationalityCameroonian
CitizenshipCameroonian
Alma materUniversity of Valenciennes
Occupation(s)Film director and filmmaker.
Notable workYellow Fever taximan (short film)

Life

Teno was born in 1954 in Famleng in Bandjoun.[1] He studied audiovisual communication at the University of Valenciennes and worked as a film critic for Bwana Magazine and as editor-in-chief at France 3. In 1983, he directed his first short documentary Schubbah after receiving encouragement from Souleymane Cissé, a famous African director.[5] In 1992 he made his documentary Africa, I will pluck you on the effects of colonialism and neocolonialism in Cameroon. In 1996, he made Clando, which won the Audience Award at the 6th African Film Festival in Milan, Italy.[6][7][8][9]

Jean-Marie Teno is also a producer of his own films with Les Films du Raphia. In 2007-2008, he was a Visiting Artist at Copeland Fellow at Amherst College, and in 2009-2010 he was Visiting Professor at Hampshire College, Massachusetts.[2]

He lives between France, Cameroon and the United States.

Film Reception

Despite receiving high praise from the internationally community, Teno's films were banned from being aired in Cameroon. Teno was reportedly told in a meeting with the Director of Television of Cameroon that his films would never be broadcast.[10] Teno received much appreciation throughout his career for telling African history from an African perspective. In part due the success of directors like Teno, more universities began offering African film studies classes and looking at alternative perspectives of history.[11]

Filmography
  • 1983 : Schubbah (short film)
  • 1985 : Tribute (short film)
  • 1985 : Yellow Fever taximan (short film)
  • 1987 : The Slap and the Caress (short film)
  • 1988 : The Misery Water (documentary)
  • 1990 : The Last Voyage (short film)
  • 1991 : Mister Foot (documentary)
  • 1992 : Africa, I'll pluck you... (documentary)
  • 1996 : The Head in the Clouds (short film)
  • 1996 : Clando (feature film)
  • 1999 : Chef! (documentary)
  • 2000 : Holidays at home (documentary)
  • 2002 : The Marriage of Alex (documentary)
  • 2004 : The colonial misunderstanding (documentary)
  • 2009 : Holy Places (documentary)
  • 2013 : A Leaf in the Wind (documentary)

Awards

Clando

Head in the clouds

  • 1994: OAU Jury Prize at the Carthage Film Days
  • 1995: IUCN Prize and African Insurers Award at FESPACO; Documentary Award at the Festival Vues d'Afrique de Montréal

Africa, I'll pluck you ...

  • 1992: Documentary Award at the Troia Festival; OCIC Jury Prize at the Carthage Film Days; Prize for Solidarity in the world at Carthage Film Days.

Water of misery

  • 1989: TV5-Europe Prize at Écovision in Lille; Honorable Mention at the Troia Festival (Portugal)

Yellow fever taximan

References
  1. Roy Armes (2008). "Teno, Jean-Marie". Dictionary of African Filmmakers. Indiana University Press. p. 124. ISBN 0-253-35116-2.
  2. Thackway, Melissa (2019). "Challenging Perspectives: An Interview with Jean-Marie Teno". In Hjort, Mette; Jørholt, Eva (eds.). African Cinema and Human Rights. Indiana University Press. pp. 89–. ISBN 978-0-253-03946-0.
  3. Rutsch, Horst. "Interview with Jean-Marie Teno | African Film Festival, Inc". Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  4. "Yaoundé : Rencontre avec Jean-Marie Teno, réalisateur". www.imagesfrancophones.org. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  5. "Yaoundé : Rencontre avec Jean-Marie Teno, réalisateur". www.imagesfrancophones.org. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  6. "Jean-Marie Teno", Wikipédia (in French), 2018-06-05, retrieved 2019-11-02
  7. "Jean-Marie Téno". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  8. "MASTER CLASS WITH JEAN-MARIE TENO". New York African Film Festival. 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  9. "Master Class with Jean-Marie Teno". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  10. "The NI Interview". New Internationalist. 1997-08-05. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  11. "Yaoundé : Rencontre avec Jean-Marie Teno, réalisateur". www.imagesfrancophones.org. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
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