Cameroon - The Golden Days of the Kingdom

This documentary film, directed by Manuela Zips-Mairitsch and Werner Zips, follows the regent of Mankon in Cameroon’s North West Region during his Golden Jubilee. For that, he must first obtain the consent of all his royal ancestors by making offerings to them. Only then may he distribute their lifeblood -- the wine of the raffia palm tree -- to the living. The religious ceremonies, mask dances, and dedications of spears and guns last one week before the people of the kingdom gather for the great community dance. Sacred kingship has all the ingredients that fit the popular stereotypes of Africa: animal sacrifice, warrior parades, ancestor worship, and the transformation of the king into the shape of an elephant. Yet, this documentary focuses on the 50th anniversary of the enstoolment of Fo Angwafo III, that is the “Golden Days of the Kingdom” to break with the exoticist perspective of age long traditions from time immemorial. The film portrays an African kingdom in its complex interactions with the postcolonial state. Fo Angwafo III Is the longest reigning King of Cameroon. During his time he played an influential role to achieve the unification of the former “French” and “English” colonies.
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