Feature film
The Tam Tams Are Silent
Les tam-tams se sont tus
Philippe Mory · 1971
Synopsis
Abraham, a young sculptor, scrapes a living from his statuettes on the outskirts of the city and refuses to give up African customs for European ways. Returning to the village for his father's mourning, he clashes with his uncle Martial, the chief, who has taken as his eighth wife the young Cécile, whom Abraham desires. The lovers, discovered after a night spent in a hut, make for the city, where Josy, Abraham's sister, sets about transforming Cécile.
Context
Shot from 1971 and completed in 1972, the film saw its budget rise from 930,000 to 26 million CFA francs, according to Serge Kevin Biyoghe. The director himself plays the role of Abraham, alongside Amélie Joktane and Gisèle Revignet; the music is by Manu Dibango. Sources give a running time of seventy-one to eighty minutes. The film was issued on DVD by Arte in 2009, in a box set devoted to African filmmakers.
Who it is for
A film in French, of a little over an hour, on the conflict between custom and the city, available on DVD since 2009.
Prizes and reception
Presented by Serge Kevin Biyoghe as the first Gabonese feature film; noticed at Fespaco and awarded a special jury mention at Dinard.
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