Director: Manthia Diawara
Producer: Jürgen Bock / Maumaus
Language: English/French/Portuguese/Tamasheq
Year: 2008
Runtime: 58’
Colour

Premiere: 10.03.2008 | Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon

Funded by: Ministério da Cultura/Direcção Geral das Artes/RTP 2/ Museu Colecção Berardo

Mireille Ngatsé lived for several years in the Maison Tropicale in Brazzaville. It was designed by Jean Prouvé, the famous French constructor and architect. Ms. Ngatsé describes the aluminum house as comfortable, even though it had no electricity or running water. She loved the fresh air and the light coming in through the round windows.

One day, four men came from France to Brazzaville, and took the Maison Tropicales away in containers. Today, Mireille Ngatsé sees her house in a catalogue, and reads about it as it is being exhibited around the world as a precious art object.

Mali born Manthia Diawara's documentary is a complement to Ângela Ferreira's artistic project on the Maison Tropicale by Jean Prouvé, which was shown at the Venice Biennale 2007. The film brings to life the hidden stories and memories of those left behind in Africa when the Maisons Tropicales were removed. It is a postcolonial excavation into African identity, art and the notion of cultural patrimony.