THE FOREST/LE SILENCE DE LA FORÊT (2003, Central African Republic, 93 min.), directed by Didier Ouénangaré and Bassek ba Kobhio; screenplay by Didier Ouénangaré, Bassek ba Kobhio, and Marcel Beaulieu from the novel by Étienne Goyemidé; cinematography by Pierre-Olivier Larrieu; music by Manu Dibango; edited by Joseph Licidé; with Eriq Ebouaney (Gonaba), Nadège Beausson-Diagne (Simone), Sonia Zembourou (Kali), Philippe Mory (Prefect),  Zacka Soumbou (Patriarch), Ernest Mongai (Koutou), Antoine Zoko (Touka), Zéphyrin Tina (Ediogo), and the Baaka people of the village of Koungou.  In Diaka, French, and Sango with English subtitles.

 

These questions are for discussion purposes only.  You do not need to do longer answers or hand in your responses.

 

1.         Discuss the title.  In French the title was “The Silence of the Forest,” which is the U.S. became “The Forest.”   Why do you think the original title was used, and which do you prefer?

 

 

 

 

2.         This is another film that counterpoints life in the city with life in the village.  Discuss the contrast.

 

 

 

 

3.         Discuss Gonaba.  What is he like at the beginning of the film?  What does he seem to want?  How does he develop?  What does he learn? 

 

 

 

 

4.         Gonaba is played by Eriq Ebouaney, whom we saw playing the role of Lumumba.  Compare/contrast his performance here with his performance in Lumumba.

 

 

 

 

5.         Discuss his relationship with Simone, the cabaret owner.  What is she like?  What attracts them to each other?

 

 

 

 

6.         Discuss their lovemaking scenes (unusual for an African film).  Compare their lovemaking with the way that Gonaba’s relationship with Kali is presented.

 

 

 

 

 

7.         What do the Baaka people represent for Gonaba?  What does he want for them?

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.         What are the Baaka like in reality?  Describe their way of life in the rain forest.

 

 

 

 

 

9.         At what point we are told the Baaka creation myth—the way that they came to acquire fire.  Why is it in this film?  What do we learn from it?

 

 

 

 

10.       How does his relationship with Kali develop?

 

 

 

 

11.       What lessons does Gonaba come to learn about the Baaka—and about himself?

 

 

 

 

12.       At one point, Gonaba is referred to as a White man (despite the darkness of his skin).  To what extent is Gonaba in fact just like a well-intentioned Westerner?

 

 

 

 

13.       What do you think of the ending of the film?  Where do you think Gonaba will go from here?

 

 

 

 

14.       The music for this film was created by the great African musical artist Manu Dibango.  What does it add to the film?

 

 

 

 

15.       Here we again have the Tradition vs. Modernity theme at work.  Does it reach any conclusions?

 

 

 

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