South Africa. When Essemba Tourneur, an unsuccessful filmmaker returns to his country, everything has changed... He discovers to his amazement that the old movie theatre in his home town has been taken over by a gang of criminals (Van Damm, Bruce Lee,...) led by an African nicknamed "Cinéma" who avidly watches American films all day.
Physically removed from the theatre, Essemba decides to recuperate it to project African films, and re-names it "Heritage Cinema". In the meantime, thrown out of town and deprived of films, the gang gets bored.
They decide to burgle Essemba's movie-theatre and to open an improvised theatre in the village where they have sought refuge.
Unfortunately the films they have made off with are African films. Reluctantly they show them to the delighted villagers. Essemba decides to recover the stolen films and settle the score with Cinéma and his gang. Without realizing it he finds himself playing a role in a story straight out of an American-style feature film...


Original screenplay: Jean-Pierre Bekolo
Running time: 1h10
35 mm colour
Feature Film shot in Zimbabwe
Original version in English subtitled in French
Director of Photography: Régis Blondeau
Sound: Maguette Salla
Music: Jean-Claude Petit
Editing: Aurélie Ricard
Scenery: Carine Tredgold

Cast
Siputla Sebogodi (Cinéma),
Albee Lesotho (Essemba Tourneur),
Ken Gampu (policeman),
Anthony Levendale (Bruce Lee)

Production:
JBA PRODUCTION,
Jacques Bidou,
37, rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris (France).
Telephone: 33 (1) 48 04 84 60
Fax: 33 (1) 42 76 09 67

Coproduction: BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE (Great-Britain), FRAMEWORK INTERNATIONAL (Zimbabwe).

With the participation of: FONDS SUD CINEMA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre National de la Cinématographie - France), UNESCO, Fondation Rockfeller, Hubert Bals Fund, Union Européenne, Kola Case.

International Sales:
MGI INTERNATIONAL,
Michel Gué,
12, rue Blanche, 75009 Paris (France).
Telephone: 33 (1) 42800687
Fax: 33 (1) 45261733.

Contact in France:
JBA PRODUCTION,
Clotilde Vidal


Festivals:
Prix du Meilleur Son au Fespaco (Burkina Faso), 1997.
Sélectionné aux Festivals de Toronto, Sundance (USA), Rotterdam, Fribourg, Montréal.