Kolofata in northern Cameroon, on the Nigerian border. The region has been repeatedly terrorised by the Islamist “Boko Haram” militia. Nevertheless, people seek refuge here, the military patrols the streets. While cooking, a girl named Falta asks her mother to tell her about her father’s violent death. Brothers Ibrahim and Mohamad, who escaped from imprisonment by the militia, speak together about their deceased parents. The younger of the two can no longer remember how they were. After their experiences as child soldiers, they struggle to embrace everyday life at school, preferring to look after animals or roam about the fields. In her feature-film debut, Cyrielle Raingou manages to create a gentle, respectful snapshot of these traumatised young individuals, who radiate so much lust for life in spite or all they’ve been through.

Cyrielle Raingou is a Cameroonian filmmaker who is passionate about the concept and development of a certain African artistic identity, its promotion on an international scale and the economic interest it generates. She firmly believes that artists can make a living in Africa. She often uses legends, metaphors and the symbolism of certain animals to support human stories in their complexity and the mystery of life. In 2023, she won the main competition at the Rotterdam International Film Festival with her feature film debut THE SPECTER OF BOKO HARAM.

Filmography: 2017 CHALLENGE, 2019 REQUIEM PROLOGUE; THE LAMB (all short films), 2023 THE SPECTER OF BOKO HARAM

Awards (selection): Tiger Award (Rotterdam International Film Festival, Netherlands 2023)