Josette (Josette Kwanya) is an elderly widow living in the Cameroonian capital city of Yaoundé. She inhabits a large, deserted house as all her five children have left for Europe. The radio and television we hear the background comments on this exodus noting there are no opportunities for young Cameroonians causing them to emigrate to Europe where one announcer remarks they are misled into thinking everything is perfect. This mass exodus from one impoverished country into ones of land of milk and honey is immemorial.
Her children communicate with Josette through video calls replete with excuses how they’re going to visit her “soon”. One son, Benoît, has Josette supervising the construction of his house he plans to live in when he returns to Cameroon. Instead of a planned return strangers appear at Josette’s door asking for the keys of their rented house (Benoît’s house) such renting not disclosed to Josette. A taste of being swindled here!
Sensing more swindles (on my part) Josette at the bank is confused rummaging in her purse for her identification card which she has lost. A senior with a weakened mind and easily manipulated?
Then there appears Sarah (Moudjeu Pouadeu) a street purveyor of traditional medicines who swindles bank tellers by claiming they have shortchanged her whilst she skillfully sticks a few notes together to appear as one banknote! Sarah, being bashed about by her father for her intent to marry a white Frenchman Adrien, pleads to stay with Josette for two days which turns into two weeks and more until Adrien, her fiancé arrives. Is this Adrien in on an ageist swindle?
Sarah takes out Josette for the first time she has been to a bar and they dance together. Is she getting the old bird plastered to knock her over the head and steal the contents of the house? Red herring in my imagination?
If loneliness is the central theme of director Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu it fails. Josette may be abandoned as so many Cameroonian parents are, but lonely with the arrival of Sarah…no way. She has been reconnected to life.
Sarah is no angel tricking bank tellers, asking Josette to “play” her mother and failing to reveal to Adrien she has been married “in the traditional way” but she has been battered around by her father and her “traditional” husband so some sympathy might be accorded to her.
Josette is no saint as well.
What is the suitcase scene with various powders being packed into a suitcase? Drug smuggling. And the shots of a big airy living room looking like a mini-Versailles? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.
My favourite scene is the children having constructed an Air France airplane out of cardboard outside of Josette’s house. Ready to fly the coup to France, the land of milk and honey. A colonial power France, now repaying its debts to Cameroon. Powerful symbolism.
The performances of Pouadeau as a con/angel/victim and Kwanya are compelling and worth the watch alone.
Cameroon/France/Belgium/Benin/Saudi Arabia/Qatar (2026)
RKS International Film Rating 64/100.
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