Fri 27 Feb, 2009
As some of you may know, February 18 was the 5th anniversary of Jean Rouch’s death in Niger. In route to a film festival in Tahoua, Niger, there was a car accident and Jean was the only person to die in the crash. Since then, there has been much written about Jean’s contributions to the cinema and anthropology. In Niger, his persona has reached mythic proportions. The French cultural center is named after him. The center’s library is esbalishing a collection of books by and about Jean. A media center is being developed. And the CCFN (Centre Culturel Franco-Nigerien) has been sponsoring the Caravan Jean Rouch in which Rouch’s longtime sidekick, Damoure Zika and a team from the cultural center take Jean’s films to the remote villages where they were shot, in some cases, more than 60 years ago. The films are shown to the grandchildren, in most cases, of the original subjects, and then Damoure elicits a general discussion. For many viewers, it was the first time they saw their grandparents, which moved them deeply.
Everyone I met in Niger talked about Jean in reverential tones as if he, as a respected ancestor, is listening to all the talk and making judgments about us down here in everyday life.
“Did you know him?” people asked me in a whisper.
“I did and we shared some very good times. If you had some time, I could tell you some terrific stories.”
As in many parts of Africa, ancestors here are seen as potential participants–for good and bad–in the everyday lives of the living. Offerings are sometimes made in expectation of a heavenly good turn. All of this, I think, pleases Jean, if he is up there listening. How many people are remembered after they die and for how long? In Jean’s case, he and his work will be seen and discussed for many generations to come–his being and spirit lives on in his work. Such a mythic status, moreover, makes him a figure of inspiration to a new generation of scholars–especially Nigerien scholars who are taking up the camera and who are begnnning to produce films of distinction. This fact makes Jean smile–beam with delight–where ever he might be, for his vision was never of the present; it was always focused on the future. And so, five years after his death, we can say without hesitation that the work goes on.
On the morning of February 18th I went to the Christian cemetrary to find Jean’s grave. The cemetary is a dry and sandy expanse just off the road to Kollo near the Terminus neighborhood in Niamey. Most of the gravesites are bare mounds marked with crosses. Jean’s has a tombstone and is covered with white marble squares. It is unobtrusively situated at the southern end of the cemetary and says: “Jean Rouch May 31, 1917-February 18, 2004. A modest palce that marks the passing of a great scholar and filmmaker.
As is the Songhay (and Jewish) custom, I took a stone and spoke to it from my heart. I wished Jean well and hoped that he would continue to watch over us to ensure that the work goes on. I placed the stone on the gravesite and walked into the dusty congestion of Niamey.
niger1 says:
Very nice can t wait to read more about your Niger trip